Friday, May 12, 2017

SEASIDE, Calif. – An incredible postseason run for Western Washington came to an end Friday with the Vikings dropping two games to bow out of the NCAA Division II Softball West Regional at the Otter Sports Complex.

The No. 8 seeded Vikings managed just five hits against Dixie State starter Brooklyn Beardshear while the No. 4 seeded Trailblazers scored early to lock up the 5-0 victory in the opening game. Western Washington’s rally came too little, too late against No. 5 Sonoma State in the elimination game as the Seawolves scored six runs over the first five innings for the 6-4 victory.

With the loss, Western Washington saw its 12 game win streak come to an end. The Vikings finish the season at 34-19 overall.

GAME 1 - DIXIE STATE 5, WESTERN WASHINGTON 0
The Trailblazers staked themselves to a 3-0 lead after the first two innings. Janessa Bassett scored the the game’s first run in the bottom of the first, singling to open the frame and scoring on a wild pitch. Sheby Yung opened the second with a single to right advanced to second on a sacrifice and scored on an error. Dani Bartholf, who reached second on the error, scored one batter later on Bailey Gaffin’s single to right field.

Bassett started the bottom of the fourth by reaching on an error and made it a 4-0 lead when she scored on a fielder’s choice. Josey Hartman reached on an error with one out in the fifth and scored on a sacrifice fly by Bartholf.

Western Washington’s best scoring chances came in the third and fourth innings. Anna Kasner doubled to right center field with one out in the third and Caylie Richards reached when she hit by a pitch, Beardshear coaxed the next two Vikings into fly outs to retire the side. Emily Benson opened the fourth with a single and advanced to second on a wild pitch, but Beardshear retired the next three batters and Benson was stranded.

Kasner, who was making her fourth start in a row for the Vikings, fell to 16-6 with the loss. She allowed three runs, one earned, on five hits with two walks and three strikeouts over the first two innings. Shearyna Labasan allowed two unearned runs on two hits and struck out five over the next four innings. Beardshear was the winner for Dixie State, allowing just five hits to improve to 18-6 on the year.

GAME 2 - SONOMA STATE 6, WESTERN WASHINGTON 4
Western Washington never led in the contest, instead making a valiant effort to come back from a six-run deficit with a four-run fifth inning.

Sonoma State’s Karly Macadangdang opened the game with a lead-off double and gave the Seawolves the 1-0 lead when she scored on Jordann White’s single through the right side. It became a 3-0 lead in the third inning when Alyssa Cuffia’s triple scored White and Alison Strycula.

The Seawolves played add-on the fourth when when a sacrifice fly scored Alex Flores. They added two more runs in the fifth inning with a ground out plating Jenny Collazo and Sarah Langley’s double scoring White.

Western Washington managed just one hit off of Sonoma State starter Teresa Dananberg over the first four innings before the Vikings finally broke through for their four-run fifth. Benson drew a leadoff walk, Richards singled and Patterson walked to load the bases for Paityn Cyr, who delivered a bases-clearing double to left center field. Cyr would advance to third on a wild pitch and score thanks to an error.

The Vikings would not get another chance to score with Dananberg limiting WWU to one hit over the final two innings. She improved to 6-4 on the season by allowing the four runs, three earned, on four hits with four walks and three strikeouts. Shearyna Labasan took the loss for Western Washington, finishing at 12-6 on the year. She allowed four runs, three earned, on seven hits with a walk and two strikeouts in 3.2 innings of work.