Wednesday, May 22, 2024
by Evan O'Kelly, Assistant Commissioner For Communications

LONGWOOD, Fla. – A team that has bent numerous times but never broken during the 2024 season did it one more time on Wednesday at Boombah-Soldiers Creek Park, as Western Washington twice defeated No. 3 University of Indianapolis to earn a spot in the NCAA Softball World Series finals.

The Vikings will play No. 2 UT Tyler in a best-of-three series to determine the 2024 NCAA Division II national champion, beginning on Friday.

Facing elimination in a game that started at 11 a.m. ET/8 a.m. PT Wednesday, the Vikings outlasted the Greyhounds for a 2-1 win in 12 innings. UIndy had the winning run in scoring position in the eighth, ninth, 10th, and 12th innings, but WWU freshman pitcher Kaiana Kong held sturdy each time to ensure the win.

The Vikings wasted no time stunning the Greyhounds in the decisive second game on Wednesday, jumping on likely NCAA Division II National Pitcher of the Year Kenzee Smith for five runs in the first three innings on the way to a 7-1 triumph.

On the biggest day of her softball life, WWU freshman Alli Kimball delivered a masterful performance pitching 13 innings and contributing in both victories. Kimball had a season-high seven strikeouts through 7 1/3 innings in the opener, before limiting UIndy to one run on six hits in the second game. Kong tossed the final 1 1/3 innings in Game 2, allowing just two baserunners to keep WWU’s historic season alive.

GNAC Player of the Year Hailey Rath had a three-run home run in Game 2, becoming just the second player among the 1,071 batters that Smith has faced this season to take her deep. WWU senior Taylor Khorrami delivered the game-winning hit and had the game-ending catch in the opening game, and the Vikings took advantage of five errors committed by the Greyhounds in the two wins.

Western Washington improved to 52-10 on the season with the two wins – the fourth-highest win total in the history of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. UIndy finished its remarkable season at 60-7, a program record for wins in a campaign.

Game 2 – Western Washington 7, Indianapolis 1

The Vikings stunned the Greyhounds, sending nine batters to the plate in the top of the first inning to build a 3-0 advantage. An error on a ground ball hit by Maleah Andrews and a single by Kanilehua Pitoy set the stage for Rath, who blasted a three-run home run over the fence in center. The long ball was the eighth of the year for Rath, and just the second that Smith surrendered in 2024.

Rath’s long ball didn’t empty the bases for long, as Emma Andrewjeski-Ramirez drew a walk and singles by Emily Paulson and Lexi Barcomb loaded the bases with just one out. Smith dug deep however, using a ground ball to get one runner at home and ended the frame with a ground out to limit the damage to three runs.

Kimball was faced with an immediate test in the bottom of the first, as the Greyhounds put runners on the corners with one out. The freshman stranded them both however, notching a shutdown inning with a harmless popup to Rath at short and her eighth strikeout of the day.

The Vikings struck again in the top of the second, with Andrewjeski-Ramirez ripping an RBI-double that brought home Pitoy. McKenna Crum then plated a run with a ground ball in the third to make the score 5-0.

Smith put up her first zero of the game in the top of the fourth, but once again had to deal with heavy pressure as the Vikings loaded the bases on a single, an error and a walk. The senior won a lengthy battle against Khorrami, striking her out on a 3-2 pitch to strand the bases loaded and keep the deficit at five runs.

Braxton Downs led off the bottom of the fourth with a double to the wall in left field, but an unfazed Kimball retired the next three batters she faced to put up a fourth straight zero. Kimball’s offense rewarded her with a further cushion in the top of the fifth, with Pitoy punching an RBI-double to center and Andrewjeski-Ramirez bringing home another run with a base hit to left to make it 7-0.

The Greyhounds didn’t go down without a fight, as a walk and a single put a pair of runners on base with two outs in the bottom of the sixth. Smith drove in her team’s first run of the game, but it was all UIndy could manage as Kong came on in relief and stranded the bases loaded once again.

Andrews and Pitoy handled grounders in the bottom of the seventh, and Kong ended the game by fielding a comebacker to send WWU to the national championship series. Andrewjeski-Ramirez went 3-for-5, and upped her season RBI total to 56 which is tied for seventh-most in GNAC single-season history.

Kimball’s win was her 24th of the season, tying her for the seventh most in GNAC single-season history. It is the most wins by a GNAC pitcher since WWU’s Makinlee Sellevold won 25 games in 2015.

Smith was beaten twice on the same day for the first time in her incredible collegiate career, finishing the season 39-5 and finishing her career with a record of 122-21. Smith is the 2024 NCAA Division II leader in complete games (34), ERA (0.35), starts (40), hits allowed per 7 (3.31), appearances (49), shutouts (24), wins (38), and WHIP (0.67) and ranked third in strikeouts (287). Among active collegiate pitchers, Smith ranked fourth in career strikeouts with 953.

GAME 2 NOTES: The only other home run Smith allowed this year was to Trista Grobe of Missouri S&T in a 3-2 loss on May 5…the only other team to score in three consecutive innings off Smith in her 162-career appearances was West Alabama on Feb. 13, 2022 during her sophomore season…it was the second-most runs Smith allowed in a game in her career, and the most since she gave up nine on Feb. 13, 2022 in the game against West Alabama…her previous season high allowed was four runs on May 3 against UMSL…in the 162 career games and 890 2/3 innings that Smith has pitched in her four-year career, Wednesday marked just the 15th time that an opponent has managed to score three runs in a single inning off the right hander…it was just the fifth time a team managed three or more runs off Smith in the first inning in her illustrious career…Western Washington became just the third school to beat Smith more than once in her career, joining Grand Valley State (four wins) and Missouri St. Louis (two wins).

Game 1 – Western Washington 2, UIndy 1 (12 Innings)

Kong found a way to emerge unscathed every time she faced a test, as WWU held on by a thread long enough to produce the winning run. The final Houdini act by the Viking freshman came with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the 12th, as she got Shelby Cook to fly out to Khorrami center to end the game.

Western Washington had taken the lead in the top of the inning, when Khorrami punched a two-out, RBI-single up the middle to bring home pinch runner Isabella Bay.

The Vikings did not hit the ball out of the infield until an Andrews fly out in the top of the 11th inning, as Smith was sensational yet again. The senior’s 12 innings pitched were a career high, with her previous mark being an 11-inning effort against Lewis on May 12, 2023. Smith struck out eight and walked none, while holding the Vikings to eight hits and throwing 166 pitches. UIndy went 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position in the game, missing out on numerous opportunities to score runs.

Kimball allowed just one unearned run in her 7 1/3 innings of work, striking out a season-high seven and walking three while throwing 126 pitches. Kong struck out three and walked four in her 4 2/3 shutout innings of relief, allowing two hits and throwing 80 pitches. Pitoy and Andrewjeski-Ramirez were the lone Vikings with multiple hits in the game.

The Vikings got off to a strong start on Wednesday morning, taking advantage of a pair of fielding miscues by the Greyhounds in the top of the first inning. Andrewjeski-Ramirez beat out a slow grounder to short for an infield single, which put runners on the corners with two outs. Rath then came around to score on an error by UIndy third baseman Emily O’Connor to give WWU an early 1-0 advantage.

A walk and a bunt single set the table for the Greyhounds in the bottom of the second, and Smith moved two runners into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. Kimball dug deep, and struck out Jocelyn Calvin with a rise ball to leave the bases loaded and keep her team in front.

The Greyhounds pulled even in the bottom of the third, thanks to aggressive baserunning by Megan Nichols. The centerfielder led off with a single, stole second, raced to third on a ground out and scampered home on an ensuing error to tie the score at 1-1.

Calvin made one of the top defensive plays of the game in the top of the sixth inning, making a diving back-hand stop and throwing from her knees to rob Ashley Jacobson of a base hit. The key stop helped Smith get through her sixth inning of work and keep the game knotted at 1-1.

A string of 14 consecutive batters retired by Kimball starting in the third inning came to an end with one out in the bottom of the eighth, when Calvin sneaked a ground ball into center field to put the winning run on base. Nichols followed with a single and O’Connor drew a walk to load the bases with one out, and Kong was summoned to keep the Vikings’ season alive. The right-hander followed in her fellow freshman’s footsteps, striking out Lexy Rees and inducing an inning-ending ground out to send the game to the ninth inning.

The Greyhounds threatened once again in the bottom of the ninth, putting the winning run in scoring position after Smith was hit by a pitch and Sydney Perry drew a walk. An ensuing free pass issued to Calvin loaded the bases, but Kong got out of the jam with a pair of gutsy strikeouts to keep the score at 1-1.

GAME 1 NOTES: Kimball’s previous season high in strikeouts was six, which she reached on March 15 against Northwest Nazarene and April 27 against Western Oregon…Smith’s previous season high for innings pitched was nine, on April 14 against Maryville.

ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BRACKET: UT Tyler took care of business with a 5-2 win over Lenoir-Rhyne, and advanced to the NCAA Softball Championships finals with a 3-0 record thus far in the national tournament.

GNAC HISTORY IN THE MAKING: WWU is the first team since the GNAC was founded in 2001 to reach the NCAA Division II College World Series. The Vikings finished second in the GNAC regular-season standings with a league record of 19-5, before going 3-0 on their home field to capture the program’s third GNAC Championships tournament trophy. From there, the Vikings went 4-1 at the west regional and defeated Cal State Dominguez Hills 2-1 in a three-game super regional series to advance to the NCAA Championships. Overall in 2024 WWU went 9-2 on its home field in the playoffs. The Vikings set the GNAC record for consecutive wins to start a season with 13, broke the school record with a mid-season, 17-game winning streak and shattered the previous program record for wins in a season which was 34. WWU’s 52 wins this spring are fourth-most in GNAC history, and the most by a conference team since Humboldt State won 54 games in 2006.

PATH TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP: The Vikings have gone 12-3 in the 2024 postseason, including a resilient mark of 7-0 when facing elimination. Ahead of the weekend’s championship series, WWU has gone 8-0-2 in series against a single opponent this season (two, three, or four games). Western Washington is 8-1 in extra-inning games and holds a 17-6 record in games that were decided by a single run.