Saturday, May 4, 2024
by Evan O'Kelly, Assistant Commissioner For Communications

BELLINGHAM, Wash. – For the second day in a row, a battle of Division II softball heavyweights fell the way of No. 14 Western Washington, which claimed the 2024 GNAC Softball Championships title with a 4-0 victory over No. 13 Northwest Nazarene on Saturday at Viking Field.

The Vikings scored two runs in the third and two in the fourth, which was enough to back Alli Kimball and Kaiana Kong who combined to keep the Nighthawk bats quiet in a three-hit shutout. Freshman Maleah Andrews delivered the game-winning RBI in the third inning, and was named GNAC Championships MVP after batting .556 (5-for-9) with a tournament-leading four RBIs. “We came in knowing what we had to do, and as a team we just built off each other’s energy,” said Andrews. “My teammates do a great job ahead of me of putting themselves in scoring position, and I know it takes just one hit to move them around. We have all prepared really well for big pressure situations.”

“She is clutch,” WWU head coach Sheryl Gilmore said on Andrews, a freshman. “We knew it was going to be a matter of time before she came through. Shout out to TK and McKenna for getting on base before her, and it is great to have production from the bottom end of the lineup.”

The Vikings claimed their third GNAC Championships tournament title, after winning the event in 2017 and repeating in 2021. WWU improved to 42-7 on the season, and swept its three games at the GNAC Championships with a 4-1 win over Saint Martin’s on Thursday and a 4-2 win over Northwest Nazarene on Friday. “It is awesome to do it at home, we have a big group of our alumni here and the fans were electric,” Gilmore said on the exciting atmosphere at Viking Field. “We had contributions from our entire time just like it has been all year, and I am just so proud of this team.”

Kimball set the tone through five brilliant innings on Saturday, limiting the Nighthawks to three hits while striking out five and walking none. Kong shut the door across the final two innings, retiring six of the seven batters she faced. “It feels awesome, and I’m so blessed with the outpouring of support we have had,” said Kimball, a freshman. “This team is truly special. I try really hard not to let the moment get too big, and I know I have an amazing team around me that is going to support me with runs and defense.”

“To have two freshmen pitch in the GNAC Championships and not blink is pretty awesome,” Gilmore said on Kimball and Kong. “We knew Alli was ready to make the start for us today, and Kaiana came in and shut the door like she always does. We always know they are going to put us in a position to win.”

Northwest Nazarene (39-10) entered the week ranked No. 2 in the NCAA West Region rankings and will prepare for a regional tournament berth next week. The field for the NCAA tournament will be announced on Monday at 10 a.m. (ET)/7 a.m. (PT). “We knew it was going to be a battle, and we have so much respect for NNU,” Gilmore said. “They have elevated our program, and we are hopefully going to see them again down the road at a super regional.”

Gina Skinner made the start for the Nighthawks, allowing three runs on six hits with one strikeout and no walks. GNAC Pitcher of the Year Sidney Booth tossed the final four frames, surrendering one run on three hits with three strikeouts and one walk.

WWU senior Taylor Khorrami got the big third inning started, as she and McKenna Crum punched back-to-back singles into the outfield to set the table. Andrews turned around on a 3-1 pitch from Skinner and smoked it through the right side of the infield, making the score 1-0. GNAC Player of the Year Hailey Rath followed with an RBI-single to spot WWU a 2-0 lead. “That really helped me stay calm in the circle,” Kimball said on receiving early run support.

NNU’s Kellcie Adams helped limit the damage with a big defensive play, cutting down a runner at second base with a strong, back-pick throw. The Vikings struck again in the top of the fourth however, as Kanilehua Pitoy led off with a single before Khorrami drew a walk to put two runners on for Crum, the ninth-place hitter. With the outfield drawn in, the lefty put a charge into a deep fly ball that landed near the warning track in center field for a two-run double.

Booth allowed just two singles the rest of the game, but the damage had been done as the Vikings completed the shutout victory. Putting a finishing touch on the win in the bottom of the seventh inning, Rath made the defensive play of the day as she laid out to snag a sharp grounder up the middle and fired to first just in time to prevent a leadoff single by NNU’s Abigail Gagnon.

Crum finished the game 3-for-3 at the plate and Pitoy went 2-for-3 to lead the Vikings offensively. WWU stranded six runners on base while the Nighthawks left four.

TOURNEY TALK: Saturday marked the third time the two teams met in the GNAC Championships title game, with WWU winning in 2021 and NNU returning the favor in 2023…WWU improved to 4-2 on the season against the Nighthawks…Saturday was the sixth time the teams have met at the GNAC Championships and the third time they have squared off in the championship game…WWU holds a 4-2 record and is now 2-1 in championship games against NNU.