March 12, 2014

BELLINGHAM, Wash. - Needing some much-needed conference wins, Western Washington University plays host to defending Great Northwest Athletic Conference champion Saint Martin's University on Saturday (1 p.m.) and Western Oregon University on Sunday (12 noon) in league softball action at Viking Field on the WWU campus.

The Vikings are 10-5 overall, but 2-2 in GNAC action following a pair of one-run losses at Central Washington last Sunday. WWU has yet to lose at home in four games this season.

Saint Martin's is 7-7 overall and 3-0 in conference play, while Western Oregon is 13-10 overall and 4-0 in GNAC action.

WWU, which is hitting a league-leading .366 as a team, boasts the GNAC's top three in batting average. They are Alexie Levin (So., Everett) at .542 (26-for-48), Jordan Walley (So., Maple Valley/Tahoma) .452 (14-for-31) and Autumn Isaacson (Jr., Lake Stevens) .449 (22-for-49).

Levin has already driven in 24 runs with 26 hits, including five home runs and five doubles. All those are team-leading figures and the homer total tops the conference.

Levin, who is working on a six-game hitting streak, has nine multi-hit games and six multi-RBI contests.

Isaacson, a transfer from Bellevue CC, has reached base in all 15 games this season. Besides 22 hits and 10 walks, she has scored 18 runs and been successful on 15-of-17 stolen base attempts.

The Vikings' combined earned run average of 2.84 ranks third in the GNAC. Jenna DeRosier (Sr., Kelso) and Aspen Ison (Fr., Gig Harbor/Peninsula) each have 4-2 records, and Levin, 1-0, has not given up a run in seven innings.

Prior to the two setbacks at Central, WWU won seven of eight games.