Thursday, May 6, 2021

MONMOUTH, Ore. – When engaged in a pitcher’s duel, sometimes you have to manufacture runs to get the win.

Western Washington did just that on Thursday, using a walk and a bunt single to back up a one-hit gem by senior Anna Kasner as the No. 2 seeded Vikings beat the No. 3 seeded Saint Martin’s, 1-0, in the opening game of the GNAC Softball Championships at Western Oregon University.

Kasner allowed just one hit to the leadoff batter of the game, junior Emery Norwood, and allowed just one other base-runner the rest of the game to improve to 11-3 on the season. Kasner struck out 12 as she improved her GNAC career record total to 525.

The lone run of the game came in the bottom of the fifth inning. Junior Chantelle Shimabukuro drew the leadoff walk off of Saints’ starter Abby Runyon, moved to second on senior Mackenzie Palmer’s single and to third on junior Tatum Dow’s fly out to right. Sophomore Brooke Fesenbek did the damage with a bunt single that laid down right in front of home plate.

With the win, Western Washington (21-12) will play the winner of Thursday’s second game between No. 1 seed Northwest Nazarene and No. 4 seed Western Oregon on Friday at 9:30 a.m. Saint Martin’s (19-17) will play the loser in an elimination game on Friday at 12:30 p.m.

Scoring chances were few and far between for both squads. Following Norwood’s leadoff single, Kasner proceeded to retire the next 16 batters. Freshman Megan Convery was the Saints’ only other baserunner, drawing a one-out walk in the sixth.

Western Washington advanced runners to third in the first, third and fourth but could not push a run across until the Fesenbek bunt single in the fifth.

Runyon dropped to 11-8 with the loss, allowing the one run on four hits with two walks and a strikeout. Freshman Tia Ridings allowed two hits and struck out one in two innings of relief.