Western Washington Vikings Softball - Western Washington University Official Athletic Site

Vikings swept in tightly contested GNAC twinbill at Central Washington, 7-6 and 6-4

Western has lost seven of its last nine games

Katy Kirschner

March 28, 2009

Box Score - Game 1

Box Score - Game 2

ELLENSBURG, Wash. - Western Washington University was swept by arch-rival Central Washington University, 7-6 and 6-4, in a tightly contested Great Northwest Athletic Conference softball doubleheader Saturday at the CWU softball field on the Central campus.

The Vikings had their record evened at 8-8, all the games being league counters. They have dropped seven of their last nine games following a 6-1 start.

Central improved to 15-8 overall and 13-5 in GNAC action. The Wildcats have won five straight and seven of their last eight contests.

Central's Jennifer Schwartz was the hero in the opener, plating the winning run with a one-out single in the bottom of the seventh inning that broke a 6-6 tie.

Western took an early 3-0 lead, scoring twice in the second on a two-out single by Jenna Mohrweis (So., Mill Creek/Jackson) and once in the fourth when Stephanie Fox (Fr., Sammamish/Eastlake) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

Central cut the deficit to one with two runs in the fifth on a two-run single by Jackie Hawkins, but a two-run homer by Western's Katy Kirschner (Fr., Bellevue/Interlake) in the top of the sixth put the Vikings ahead 5-2.

Helped by two errors, the Wildcats scored four times in the bottom of the sixth to take a 6-5 lead.

But Western tied it up in the top of the seventh. Andrea Sherrill (So., Edmonds/Kamiak) hit a one-out single and continued to third when it was misplayed in the outfield. She scored on a ground out by Michelle Wrigley (So., Bothell/Inglemoor).

Pitcher Sarah McEnroe (Jr., Woodinville) (5-4) got the loss for the Vikings, giving up 11 hits and striking out 10 in 6-1/3 innings.

Sherrill and Wrigley were each 2-for-4 and scored two runs.

Central's Katriina Reime (4-3) got the win in relief.

Molly Coppinger, who had a two-run double in the Wildcats' four-run sixth, had two hits as did Ashley Fix and Danielle Monson.

In the nightcap, Central went out to a 4-1 lead, scoring an unearned run in the second and three times in the third, two on a bases-loaded double by Liz Wallace.

Western rallied to tie the score at 4-4 with three runs in the fifth. Samantha Rutherford So., Kenmore/Inglemoor) had a run-scoring single for the second time in the game, and pinch-hitter Krista Bickar (Fr., Hoquiam) followed with a two-run double.

But Central scored twice in the sixth, one on a double by Taylor Trautmann, and Linse Vlahovich pitched 2-2/3 innings of scoreless relief in upping her record to 10-3.

Jessica Rosencrants (Sr., Sequim/Peninsula) (3-4), who got the loss for Western, worked the first 5-1/3 innings.