PORTLAND, Ore. – The Western Washington University softball team continued its winning ways, defeating Concordia University 3-2 in 10 innings and 3-0 in a doubleheader sweep in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play on Saturday at Porter Park.

WWU extended its winning streak to seven consecutive games to improve to 12-5 overall and remains perfect at 6-0 in conference play. Concordia opened GNAC play with a pair of losses to fall to 7-10 overall.

WWU opened the doubleheader with a 3-2 victory in 10 innings, with a solo home run by junior left fielder Seli Aholelei proving to be the difference in the Vikings third extra-inning game of the season.

Senior Shearyna Labasan returned to the diamond after an early-season knee injury, and picked up both wins in the doubleheader combining to toss 8.2 scoreless innings.

Senior first baseman Emily Benson went 3-for-7 in the doubleheader, hitting her fifth home run of the season and had a pair of doubles.

The Vikings combined to make only one error in the 17 innings of play, continuing their recent stellar defensive play with only five errors in the last nine games.

WWU (12-5, 6-0) continues its Oregon road trip on Sunday facing Western Oregon with the conference doubleheader in Monmouth, Oregon starting at noon.

WWU 3, Concordia 2 – 10 inn. (Game 1) Box Score | Game Book

The Vikings took the opener of the doubleheader 3-2 in 10 innings, with junior left fielder Seli Aholelei providing the game-winner with a solo home run in the top of the 10th inning.

The game was locked in a pitcher’s duel, with WWU’s Makinlee Sellevold and CU’s Sally Bowles combining to allow only three hits in the first six innings of the game. Sellevold had a no-hitter going through the first 5.1 innings of the contest, retiring 12 consecutive batters from the 1st through 5th innings.

WWU broke through in the top of the 7th inning when senior first baseman Emily Benson connected on her fifth home run of the season, a 2-run blast to left field.

Concordia tied the game with a pair of runs in the bottom of the 7th inning to force extra innings. After scoreless 8th and 9th innings, WWU junior left fielder Seli Aholelei hit a solo home run to left field for the eventual game winner.

Senior third baseman/pitcher Shearyna Labasan made her season debut coming back from knee surgery, earning the win with 1.2 innings of scoreless relief. Sellevold recorded a no-decision scattering 4 hits and 2 runs in 8.1 innings. She struck out 9 and walked 3 batters.

Benson went 2-for-4 with a double and hit her 36th career home run to move into 5th place in GNAC history. Paityn Cyr went 1-for-4 to extend her hitting streak to 15 consecutive games, 4th-longest in program history.

Concordia starter Sally Bowles (3-4) pitched well while recording the loss allowing 6 hits and 3 runs in 9.1 innings.

Western Washington 3, Concordia 2 (March 9, 2019 at Portland, OR) – Game 1

 

WWU 3, Concordia 0 (Game 2) Box Score | Game Book

Senior Shearyna Labasan pitched her fifth career shutout and went 1-for-3 with a run scored at the plate to lead the Vikings to a 3-0 victory in the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader.

WWU got off to a 2-0 lead through the first three innings and added an insurance run in the top of the 7th inning to remain perfect at 6-0 in GNAC play.

Junior left fielder Seli Aholelei plated the first run with an infield single in the top of the 2nd inning and Emily Benson drove home a run with a one-out double down the left field line to put the Vikings up 2-0.

Labasan scattered 5 hits in her first pitching start of the season, allowing only three runners to reach scoring position in her complete-game effort. She worked out of a jam in the bottom of the 6th inning, when Concordia recorded back-to-back one-hit singles. The right-hander induced a groundout and struck out Hannah Self to keep the WWU lead at 2-0.

Labasan helped her own cause leading off the 7th inning with a single to left-center field and scored an insurance run on a wild pitch.

Concordia starter Mckenzie Smith (3-4) was saddled with the loss allowing 5 hits and 3 runs (1 ER) in the complete-game effort. Smith was also 2-for-3 at the plate to lead the Cavaliers.