Western Washington Vikings Softball - Western Washington University Official Athletic Site

Fox tosses two-hit shutout as WWU splits with Central Washington

Vikings win 1-0 following 9-2 loss

Stephanie Fox

April 27, 2012

Box Score - Game 1

Box Score - Game 2

BELLINGHAM, Wash. - Western Washington University pitcher Stephanie Fox (Sr., Sammamish/Eastlake) continued her late-season mastery, tossing a two-hit shutout as the Vikings won 1-0 to split with Central Washington University in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference softball doubleheader Friday at Viking Field on the WWU campus.

The Vikings, who lost the opener 9-2, are 17-34 overall and 13-21 in league action. They are 8-10 at home this season.

Central is 19-29 overall and 15-21 in conference play.

Fox improved her record to 9-8, throwing her fifth shutout and winning for the seventh time in the last 10 decisions. Besides the two hits, both singles, she walked one and hit one batter while striking out two.

Central did not get a base runner past first.

WWU's run came in the fifth inning. Meghan Carrillo (So., Prunedale, CA) led off with a single and pinch runner Melissa Becker (Jr., Puyallup/Graham-Kapowsin) advanced to second on a ground out and scored on a double by Jackie Rothenberger (Jr., Coquitlam, BC/Gleneagle Secondary).

Wildcat pitcher Maria Gua (11-17) allowed just five hits, retiring 11 straight after a first inning double by Kristen Allen (Jr., Arlington).

In the opener, Central took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first on a home run by pitcher Heidy Wells, her fourth of the season.

WWU tied it at 2-2 with a pair of runs in its half of the first. Jessica Carey (Sr., Everett) led off with a walk and went to second on a single by Rachelle Berry (Jr., Alger/Burlington-Edison). Carey eventually scored on a ground out and Berry came home on a sacrifice fly by Carrillo.

Central broke the game open with six runs in the second on five hits, all singles, two walks and one error. Cassi Ellis had two hits in the rally, scoring one run and driving in another.

Wells (5-9) did not allow another run by the Vikings over the next five innings, retiring eight straight at one point. In six innings of work, she gave up five hits and walked two.

WWU's Jenna DeRosier (So., Kelso) came on in relief, allowing just one run in six innings.

That Wildcat run came in the fourth on a two-out single by Ellis, who finished 3-for-4 in the contest, driving in two runs and scoring one.

The Vikings end their season Saturday (12 noon) against Western Oregon University in a GNAC doubleheader.