LACEY, Wash. – The Western Washington University softball team held a late lead in both games of Saturday’s Great Northwest Athletic Conference doubleheader at Saint Martin’s University, but fell short of recording a victory enduring a pair of one-run losses at Saints Field.
WWU dropped the first game 5-4 in 8 innings on a walk-off hit and endured a 4-3 loss in the nightcap to extend its losing streak to five consecutive games to fall to 12-29 overall and 6-16 in GNAC play. Western has had 16 of its 29 losses decided by 2 or fewer runs. Saint Martin’s completed the season sweep of the Vikings, winning each of the four games by one run, to improve to 22-17 overall and 12-10 in league play.
Senior designed player Carlie Richards (Kennewick, WA/Kamiakin) combined to go 5-for-7 in the doubleheader, including tying her single-game career-high with 3 hits in the first game. Freshman Lauren Lo (Issaquah, WA/Skyline) went 3-for-8 with a pair of extra-base hits (2B/3B) and sophomore shortstop Paityn Cyr (Mount Vernon, WA) was 3-for-7 with 2 doubles and one RBI. Sophomore center fielder Jackie Lucido (San Jose, CA/Piedmont Hills) hit her 5th home run of the season and extended her team lead in RBI with 24 on the season.
Overall the Vikings were nearly equal with the Saints in hits (17-18) and equal in extra-base hits (5-5), but the Vikings were 3-for-21 with runners in scoring position and 5-for-34 with runners on base in the two games.
Saint Martin’s junior pitcher Lauren Maley picked up the win in each game of the doubleheader, allowing 5 hits and one run in 7.0 innings of work. In four games vs. the Vikings, Maley went 3-0 with one save and a 0.98 ERA (2 ER, 14.1 IP). Alyssa French went 4-for-6 with a double and Kim Nelson was 3-for-8 with a home run an 3 RBI combined in Saturday’s doubleheader.
The Vikings close out the weekend road trip tomorrow with a doubleheader at Central Washington in Ellensburg starting at noon. Both games vs. the Wildcats can be followed via live webcast and live stats at WWUVikings.com/Live.
Game 1: SMU 5, WWU 4 (8 inn.) Box Score & Play-by-Play | Game Book
The Vikings built a 4-0 lead in the first game of the doubleheader, with a 3-run 4th inning breaking open a scoreless game, but Western allowed 5 late-inning runs to fall 5-4 in extra innings on a walk-off hit.
Western got on the scoreboard first in the top of the 4th inning on a Jackie Lucido 3-run home run to left field. Back-to-back singles by Carlie Richards and freshman third baseman Sam Silver (Mount Vernon, WA) set the plate for Lucido, who drilled her 5th home run of the season with 2 outs in the inning.
The Vikings added another run in the top of the 5th inning on a 2-out single by Richards to plate junior Shearyna Labasan (Mililani, HI/Maryknoll).
With freshman pitcher Kira Doan (Brier, WA/Mountlake Terrace) in cruise control through the first 4.0 innings of her start, the Saints broke through with a 4-run 5th inning to tie the game. Back-to-back home runs by Kim Nelson and Tessani Dixon leveled the score at 4-4, with Nelson’s 3-run home run to left field chasing Doan from the game.
The game moved to extra innings where Saints leadoff hitter Lindsay Miller ended the game with a walk-off infield single to give the Saints the 5-4 victory. The Vikings had a chance to turn an inning-ending double play and extend the game another inning, but shortstop Paityn Cyr committed a one-out error where she dropped a line drive that loaded the bases.
Richards went 3-for-3 for her eighth career 3-hit game, and Labasan (2-for-3, R) and Lauren Lo (2-for-4) also recorded multi-hit games.
Labasan (5-15) suffered the loss allowing 2 hits and 1 run in 1.1 innings of relief work. Doan recorded a no-decision allowing 6 hits and 3 runs in 4.1 innings.
Saint Martin’s 5, Western Washington 4 (April 21, 2018 at Lacey, WA)
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Western Washington.. 000 310 00 – 4 9 2 (12-28, 6-15 GNAC)
Saint Martin’s…… 000 040 01 – 5 10 2 (21-17, 11-10 GNAC)
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Western Washington – Doan; VanRiper (5); Labasan (7) and Matthews
Saint Martin’s – Maley; Nelson (4); Miller (7) and Connolly
Win-Maley (14-11) Loss-Labasan (5-15) T-2:31
HR WWU – Lucido (5); SMU – Nelson (2); Dixon (6)
Game 2: SMU 4, WWU 3 Box Score & Play-by-Play | Game Book
The Vikings again held a lead late in the game before falling to the Saints 4-3 to endure the doubleheader sweep.
Saint Martin’s struck early with a run in the bottom of the 1st inning, but WWU fought back and built a 3-1 lead through the top of the 6th inning.
After scoring a pair of runs via Saint Martin’s errors in the top of the 3rd inning, WWU extended its lead to 3-1 on back-to-back extra-base hits by Lauren Lo (3B) and Paityn Cyr (2B) in the top of the 6th inning. The double by Cyr was her second of the game, capping a 3-for-3 game for her third career 3-hit game.
The Saints stormed back to take the lead with 3 runs in the bottom of the 6th inning, sealing the 4-3 victory. Alyssa French and Nicki DeHan led off with back-to-back doubles, and shortstop Sabrina Hicks quickly tied the game with a 2-run triple to right-center field. Hicks scored the go-ahead run on the same play on a throwing error by WWU third baseman Sam Silver.
WWU put the potential game-tying run in scoring position in the top of the 7th inning, but couldn’t push across the equalizer.
Saint Martin’s 4, Western Washington 3 (April 21, 2018 at Lacey, WA)
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Western Washington.. 002 001 0 – 3 8 4 (12-29, 6-16 GNAC)
Saint Martin’s…… 100 003 X – 4 8 2 (22-17, 12-10 GNAC)
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Western Washington – Labasan and Hardy
Saint Martin’s – Maley; Nelson (5) and Connolly
Win-Maley (15-11) Loss-Labasan (5-16) T-1:34 A-211
