MONMOUTH, Ore. – Playing 11 innings has been a theme for the Western Oregon University softball team over the years at home. Just this year alone the team has played two games that went 11 innings and last year went 11 innings with Northwest Nazarene. In all three situations, the Wolves came out on top. On Saturday, WOU again prevailed winning in 11 innings in the opener against Western Washington, 5-4, before the Vikings were able to pull away late in game two for the 7-2 win to split the Saturday Great Northwest Athletic Conference series.
WOU honored head coach Lonny Sargent as he threw out the ceremonial first pitch coaching his final home series leading the Wolves this weekend before retiring at the end of the season.
In front of a packed crowd, the teams played right to the end in the opener. After Maddie Mayer worked around two singles in the first to keep the game scoreless, WOU (20-24, 5-13 GNAC) opened the scoring in the second.
With one out, Kirah McGlothan walked and then stole second. Kate Ronning quickly brought the run home with a single to right for the 1-0 lead.
Mayer and Sydney Brown then put up zeros over the next several innings before WWU (26-18, 12-6 GNAC) took the lead in the fifth. A throwing error was turned into a run with an RBI double to tie the game. Following another error put runners at the corners, an RBI groundout pushed the Vikings out to the 2-1 lead. Mayer was able to limit the damage getting a groundout back to the pitcher with two runners on.
WOU answered right back in the home half of the fifth. Logan Carlos hit a one-out double and after the second out was recorded, Zoie Recolan tied the game with an RBI single to left for the 2-2 score.
Neither teams was able to score over the next several innings before WOU put a runner in scoring position in the eighth. Recolan open the frame with a single and then pinch-runner Hannah Stewart moved up to second on a wild pitch. Brown was able to get out of the inning with a pair of groundouts to keep the game tied.
Mayer worked around a one-out double in the ninth to keep the game tied following the hit with a strikeout and fly out.
With the game advancing into the 10th, the international tiebreaker rule was put in starting the leadoff runner on second. The Vikings scored in the top of the 10th with an RBI single for the 3-2 lead. WOU tied the game in the home half when Sophie Franklin hit a sacrifice fly to right to score Bella Valdes.
In the 11th, WWU regained the lead, but Mayer came up with some big pitches to keep the game close. With a run in two runners in scoring position, Mayer posted a pop up, strikeout and groundout to keep it a 4-3 game.
WOU cashed in and walked it off in the home half of the 11th when Natalie Willoughby sent a drive over the right-center field fence for a two-run homer and 5-4 win for the Wolves.
WWU held the 10-8 edge in hits while the teams combined for four errors, three by the Wolves. Recolan led the way for WOU with three hits, while Carlos added two. Willoughby drove in two runs on her game-winning homer. Mayer went all 11 innings to get her seventh win (7-9) of the season, allowing four unearned runs and added seven strikeouts.
Dakota Brooks led the Vikings with three hits, while Tatum Dow and Brown added two hits apiece. Three players drove in a run for WWU. Brown ended up with the loss in the circle (8-4) going all 10 innings and allowed five runs (three earned), while adding nine strikeouts.
WWU opened the scoring in game two plating a run in the first inning.
It remained 1-0 into the third when WOU took the lead. Valdes opened the frame with a walk and then moved to third on a single by Carlos. Carlos later stole second to put two runners in scoring position. With one out recorded, Recolan drove in the tying run reaching on a fielder's choice play at the plate. Willoughby moved WOU in front with an RBI single to second to leave the Wolves ahead at 2-1 after three.
The Vikings quickly came back in the fourth collecting three runs on two hits for the 4-2 lead.
WOU threatened in the sixth. McGlothan reached on an error and then moved to second on a single by Carlos. Maddie Doig hit a single to right and on the play, McGlothan was just thrown out at the plate to keep it a 4-2 game.
WWU added insurance in the seventh getting a two-run homer and a solo home run to take the 7-2 lead.
Down to their last at-bat, Recolan opened the seventh with a double, but three straight outs followed to end the game with the Vikings coming away with the 7-2 victory.
WWU held the 7-6 edge in hits, while each team committed an error. Carlos led the Wolves with two hits and both Recolan and Willoughby added an RBI. In the circle, Chelsea Smith went all seven innings to end up with the loss (9-6) allowing seven runs (six earned), while adding seven strikeouts.
Brooks led the Vikings with two hits and added two RBI, while Kanilehua Pitoy also drove in two runs. In the circle, Kira Doan went all seven innings for the win (10-7) allowing two earned runs with four strikeouts.
WOU and WWU will conclude their four-game series tomorrow (Sunday) with another doubleheader starting at 12 p.m. at the WOU Softball Field and it will also be Senior Day.
