MONMOUTH, Ore. --- The Western Oregon softball team wrapped up its season with two losses to No. 13 Western Washington, 9-3 and 5-1, on Sunday at WOU Softball Field.
The Wolves (21-26 overall, 9-15 GNAC) in the first game took a 3-2 lead in the third inning when
Isabelle Lewis just missed a home run - hitting an RBI double high off the wall in left field to bring in
Victoria Zimmerman.
The score remained that way until the Vikings (39-7, 19-5) tied it in the fifth and scored six runs in the sixth - capped by a three-run homer - to make the final 9-3.
Kate Ronning paced WOU at the plate, going 2-for-3 with an RBI.
Mackenzee Collins got the loss, going six innings and giving up nine runs (only four earned) on nine hits with four strikeouts and six walks.
In the second game, WOU started it off with a bang when senior
Bella Valdes took the second pitch she saw over the center field fence for a home run - the first of her collegiate career and coming in her final game at WOU (her 395th at-bat).
But WWU bounced back and score two in the second to take the lead and added a run in the fifth and two more in the seventh.
Valdes went 1-for-2 at the plate with the homer to lead WOU while fellow seniors
Karly Tiedeman,
Chelby Smalley and
Sophie Franklin also had a hit apiece in their final home game.
Nicki Derrick picked up the loss, going two innings and giving up two runs on four hits with a strikeouts and a walk.