Western Washington Vikings Softball - Western Washington University Official Athletic Site

Vikings complete eight-game season series sweep of Northwest Nazarene

Western wins 4-1 and 11-1 in five innings

Michelle Wrigley

April 10, 2010

Box Score - Game 1

Box Score - Game 2

BELLINGHAM, Wash. - Western Washington University completed an eight-game sweep of its season series with Northwest Nazarene University, winning 4-1 and 11-1 in five innings on Saturday in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference doubleheader at Viking Field on the WWU campus.

The Vikings evened their overall record at 17-17 and are now 13-10 in GNAC action. NNU dropped to 6-26 overall and 6-21 in league play.

Western outscored the Crusaders 20-2 in the latest four-game set which began with 2-0 and 3-0 shutouts Friday. Overall, the Vikings outscored NNU, 47-8.

Outfielder Michelle Wrigley (Jr., Bothell/Inglemoor) had three hits and three runs batted in as Western totaled 19 hits. Stephanie Fox (So., Sammamish/Eastlake) and Kelsey Anderson (Jr., Mount Vernon) also had three hits each for the Vikings.

In the opener, Jackie Rothenberger (Fr., Coquitlam, BC/Gleneagle Secondary) gave Western a 1-0 lead with a two-out single in the first inning.

NNU tied the game at 1-1 with a run in the top of the third off Viking starter Erika Hendron (Fr., Redmond) on a double by Haley Hevern. Sarah McEnroe (Sr., Woodinville) (8-6) came on in relief and pitched 4-2/3 scoreless innings to earn the victory.

Western scored three runs in the bottom of the third on run-scoring singles by Wrigley, Caitlin Dotlich (Jr., Sedro-Woolley/Burlington-Edison) and Anderson, who had two hits in the game.

In the nightcap, NNU took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second, but the Vikings scored three times in the bottom of that frame on a lead-off home run by Jordan Emmil (So., Colville), her second of the season, and a two-run double by Rachelle Berry (Fr., Alger/Burlington-Edison).

Western scored four runs in both the third and fourth innings, batting around each time. Fox had a two-run triple in the third, finishing the game with two hits, two runs scored and the two RBI.

Wrigley, Emmil and Melissa Becker (Fr., Puyallup/Graham-Kapowsin) also had two hits each in the contest for the Vikings.

Western pitcher Erika Quint (Jr., Silverdale/Central Kitsap) (7-6) worked all five innings, the game ending because of the eight-run mercy rule. She struck out seven and scattered six hits.

Hevern had two singles for NNU.

Wrigley finished the four-game series with six hits in 10 at bats and a team-high five RBI, and McEnroe didn't allow a run or walk a batter in 12 innings.

Western next travels to GNAC-leading Central Washington University for league doubleheaders Saturday (12 noon) and Sunday (11 a.m.).