Western Washington Vikings Softball - Western Washington University Official Athletic Site

WWU unable to post victory at Best of the West tourney

Vikings lose to Humboldt State and CSU Dominguez Hills on final day

Stephanie Fox

Feb. 5, 2012

Box Score - Humboldt State

Box Score - Cal State Dominguez Hills

TURLOCK, Calif. - The Western Washington University softball team was unable to notch a victory at the Best of the West Invitational, losing to Humboldt State, 11-3 in six innings, and being blanked by Cal State Dominguez Hills, 6-0, in final-day action Sunday.

WWU pitcher Stephanie Fox (Sr., Sammamish/Eastlake), who has been a mainstay in the middle infield for the first three years of her career, worked out of numerous jams to keep the Vikings within striking distance against CSUDH during the six innings she worked

The Toros, who had 11 hits, scored single runs in the second, fifth and sixth innings, then put three on the board in the seventh.

CSUDH pitcher Lauren Harper went the distance in recording the shutout. She struck out six and allowed just two hits, singles by Jordan Emmil (Sr., Colville) and Jessica Carey (Sr., Everett).

Brittany Brenner drove in the first two Toros' runs, both with two-out singles.

Humboldt State scored five runs in the first, two in the fourth and ended the game on the eight-run mercy rule with four in the sixth. The Lumberjacks had 14 hits, three each by Chrissy Stalf, Felicia Vivieros and Dani Randall. Randall's hits were all doubles as she drove in four runs and scored twice.

WWU scored one run in the third. Cheyenne Best (Fr., Big Lake/Sedro-Woolley) led off with a double and scored on a single by Allie Crowe (Fr., Auburn/Thomas Jefferson).

The Vikings got two more in the sixth. Jackie Rothenberger (Jr., Coquitlam, BC/Gleneagle) reached on a single and later scored on a double steal, and Best had a run-scoring single.

On Saturday, WWU fell 4-1 to San Francisco State in its season opener. The Vikings were also blanked 8-0 in five innings by nationally No.15-ranked Chico State, and lost 9-3 to Cal State Monterey Bay.

In all, WWU was outscored, 38-7, in the tourney.

The Vikings, who made the earliest start in the 20-year history of their program, next compete at the Desert Stinger at Las Vegas, Nevada, on Friday through Saturday.