Friday, May 1, 2015

YAKIMA, Wash. –  Western Washington bounced back from an early 3-0 deficit to defeat Western Oregon 8-3 Friday afternoon in a loser-out game of the GNAC Softball Championships at the Gateway Sports Complex.

The Vikings, the No. 2 seed, will play top-seed Saint Martin’s in another loser-out game tonight.  That winner will advance to Saturday’s championship game at noon against third-seed Montana State Billings (28-21).

If MSUB loses that game, a second game will follow.  The eventual champion earns an automatic berth in next week’s NCAA Division II Softball West Regional.

The Vikings (29-16) scored in their last four at bats after falling behind, getting one run in the third inning and two in the fourth to tie the game at 3-3 before going ahead with two more runs in the fifth on a double by right fielder Allie Crowe.

WWU then tacked on three insurance runs in the sixth on a RBI double by designated player Alexie Levin and a two-run home run by Emily Benson.

Shortstop Allie Fine led WWU with three hits including a RBI single to start the comeback in the third.  The Vikings also got two hits from left fielder Autumn Isaacson, Levin and first baseman Jordan Walley as they banged out 14 safeties.

Isaacson also stole her 32^nd base of the season in the game to break her own GNAC single-season record.

Meanwhile, WWU pitcher Makinlee Sellevold (24-7) overcame a shaky start in which she gave up seven hits and all three runs in the opening three innings to hold Western Oregon, which finished its season with a 21-28 record, hitless through the sixth inning.

Reliever Aspen Ison then pitched a hitless seventh to close out the win.