BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Western Washington University senior first baseman Emily Benson hit a walk-off home run to give the Vikings a 1-0 victory over Western Oregon in the second game of Friday’s Great Northwest Athletic Conference doubleheader at Viking Field, earning a split of the games between two of the top teams in the conference.

Benson (West Richland, WA/Kamiakin) lined a 3-1 pitch over the fence in right-center field for the game-winner, the 45th home run in her illustrious career to tie the all-time GNAC record she now shares with Jessica Hallmark of Western Oregon (2008-11).

Western Oregon used a big 9-run 5th inning in the first game of the doubleheader to defeat the Vikings 10-1 in 5 innings.

WWU is now 25-14 overall and is now tied for second place in the conference with a 14-8 record. The Vikings will host Concordia, who swept its doubleheader at Simon Fraser on Friday, in a battle of the two teams that are tied for second place in the standings.

The doubleheader on Saturday is scheduled to start at noon at Viking Field, with the Senior Day ceremony scheduled to start at 11:50 am. WWU seniors Emily Benson, Makinlee Sellevold, Shearyna Labasan and Cylie Richards will be playing their final home games at Viking Field. Both games will stream online and feature live statistical updates at GNAC.tv.

WWU 1, Western Oregon 0 (Game 2) Box Score | Game Book

First baseman Emily Benson blasted a walk-off home run on a 3-1 pitch over the fence in right-center field to give the Vikings a 1-0 victory and a split in Friday’s doubleheader.

WWU and WOU were locked in a scoreless tie before Benson came to the plate to lead off the bottom of the 7th inning, where she delivered her 45th career home run to tie the all-time GNAC record. The home run provided the only score of the game in a pitcher’s duel between WWU’s Shearyna Labasan and WOU’s Maddie Mayer.

Labasan wiggled out of a few jams, stranding the bases loaded in the 6th and 7th innings, to record the complete-game victory. The senior right-hander allowed only four hits, while also walking four batters, to improve to 7-4 on the season while recording her sixth career shutout.

Benson was 3-for-3 in the game, adding her 10th double to her 14th home run of the season. The walk-off home run was her second of the season, also ending a game vs. MSU Denver with a pinch-hit homer Feb. 7 in St. George, Utah.

Mayer, the defending GNAC Pitcher of the Week, tallied seven strikeouts without allowing a walk, but was saddled with the loss to fall to 7-4 on the season. The four hits were tied for second-fewest by the Wolves this season, a team that entered the day ranked 2nd in the GNAC with a .335 batting average.

WOU’s biggest scoring threat came in the top of the 6th inning with a pair of runners in scoring position with zero outs, but Labasan escaped the inning without allowing a run. The Wolves again had a scoring opportunity in the 7th inning putting a pair of runners in scoring position, but Labasan buckled down to strand the bases loaded.

Western Oregon 10, WWU 1 (Game 1) Box Score | Game Book

Western Oregon held a tight 1-0 lead through the first four innings, then exploded for 9 runs on 8 hits in the top of the 5th inning to defeat the Vikings 10-1 in a run-rule-shortened 5-inning game.

WOU scored the first run of the game with a two-out single by designated player Allyson Drury. Shortstop Sydney Bowers doubled to center field after two quick outs were recorded, Drury lined a soft single to left field to plate the go-ahead run.

With the score 1-0, the Wolves sent 15 batters to the plate in the top of the 5th inning to extend the lead to 10-0. Drury opened the rally with a 2-run home run to center field and Bowers recorded a 2-run double.

The Vikings plated a run in the bottom of the 5th inning on a one-out single to left field by sophomore right fielder Mackenzie Palmer. WOU turned a game-ending double play to seal the 10-1 victory.

Senior Makinlee Sellevold was 2-for-2 at the plate with her 7th double of the season, but recorded the loss in the circle to fall to 16-10 on the season. Sellevold allowed 10 run and 10 hits in 4.1 innings, with 5 of the 9 runs in the 5th inning being unearned due to a pair of WWU errors.

WOU starter Chandler Bishop improved to 3-4 on the season allowing 5 hits and one unearned run in the 5.0-inning complete game effort. Bowers was 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles and 2 RBI and Drury was 2-for-2 with 3 RBI. The bottom four hitters in the Wolves recorded 9 of the 11 hits, combining to go 9-for-11 with 5 runs scored and 7 RBI.