Western Washington Vikings Softball - Western Washington University Official Athletic Site

Vikings swept by Western Oregon, 11-9 in 11 innings and 4-2

Final doubleheader for four WWU seniors lasts six hours

Krista Bickar

April 28, 2012

Box Score

BELLINGHAM, Wash. - It was a long day for Western Washington University as it was swept by Western Oregon University, 11-9 in 11 innings and 4-2, in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference softball doubleheader that lasted six hours Saturday at Viking Field on the WWU campus.

The Vikings ended their season 17-36 overall and 13-23 in league action. The games were the last for four WWU seniors, first baseman/designated hitter Krista Bickar (Hoquiam), outfielder Jessica Carey (Everett), third baseman Jordan Emmil (Colville) and pitcher/shortstop Stephanie Fox (Sr., Sammamish/Eastlake).

WOU finished 23-26 overall and 19-17 in conference play.

Prior to the contests, the recently fully renovated field was formally dedicated with WWU President Bruce Shepard and WWU Foundation Board President Jerry Thon tossing ceremonial first pitches.

The opener went 11 innings and finished just three minutes short of three hours, tying for the second longest game in school history. The school record of 13 innings was set in 2001, and the Vikings have had two other 11-inning contests, both of them last season.

WOU held a 7-1 lead after four innings, scoring three in the third, a two-run double by Ali Parkerson being the big blow, and four more in the fourth.

WWU rallied to go in front 8-7 with five runs in the fifth and two in the sixth.

The Wolves sent the game into extra innings with a run in the seventh on a two-out double by Danyelle Hutchison.

Neither team scored again until the top of the 11th when WOU plated three runs. The first scored on a double steal, followed by a run-scoring single by Amanda Evola and an RBI double by Parkerson.

Hannah Pomeroy (8-10), the Wolves' fourth pitcher, worked the last 5-2/3 innings. She gave up just one unearned run, that on a double by Fox in the bottom of the 11th, struck out three and walked one.

Fox and Jackie Rothenberger (Jr., Coquitlam, BC/Gleneagle Secondary) were each 3-for-5. Fox drove in three runs and scored one, and Rothenberger had two RBI and two runs scored.

In all, 26 runners were left on base, WWU 15 and WOU 11. The Vikings also committed a season-high seven errors.

In the nightcap, Fox (9-9) pitched four scoreless innings before the Wolves scored four runs in the fifth to lead 4-1. Hannah Pomeroy drove in three runs with a bases-loaded double.

WWU had taken a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth on a double by Bickar, who went to third on a wild pitch and scored on a single by Amanda Flores (So., Ferndale).

The Vikings scored another run in the sixth. Rothenberger singled and crossed the plate on a two-out double by Kristen Allen (Jr., Arlington).

WWU got two runners on in the seventh before Wolves' relief pitcher Mryanda Sawyer (9-5) got the final out. Pomeroy worked the first three innings.

The Vikings, who had nine hits, two each by Bickar, Flores and Allen, left 10 runners on base.

Carey finished as WWU's team leader in batting average (.327), hits (56), doubles (9), and runs batted in (25). Fox topped the Vikings in earned run average (2.56), wins (9), complete games (13), and shutouts (5).