Vikings lose opener 9-1 at Central Washington :: Three-game winning streak ends for Western with first league loss

March 15, 2008

ELLENSBURG, Wash. - Western Washington University gave up a season-high 14 hits, eight for extra bases, as it fell 9-1 in five innings because of the eight-run mercy rule to arch-rival Central Washington University in the opener of a Great Northwest Athletic Conference doubleheader Saturday at the CWU softball field.

The loss snapped a three-game winning streak and was the first league setback for the defending GNAC champion Vikings, who fell to 14-6 overall and 4-1 in conference action.

Central, which won its third straight, improved to 7-10 overall and 4-1 in league play. It was the third straight double-figure hit total for the Wildcats, who have won seven of their last 11 games following an 0-6 start.

Western starting pitcher Jessica Rosencrants (Jr., Sequim/Peninsula CC) (9-4) gave up five runs and 10 hits in 2-1/3 innings, and Emily Hardin (Fr., Bothell/Inglemoor) allowed four more runs on four hits in 1-2/3 innings of relief.

Central pitcher Linse Vlahovich (3-6) gave up just three singles, striking out five, walking three and hitting two batters.

The Wildcats scored four runs in the bottom of the first inning, the big blow a two-run double by Kayla Jayne. Central added one in the second on a triple by Kasey Druffel and four more in the fourth on a run-scoring triple by Jackie Hawkins and back-to-back homers by Mallory Holtman and Holly Rossman. It was Holtman's seventh and Rossman's fifth home run of the season.

Holtman drove in three runs and scored twice for the Wildcats. Druffel was 3-for-3 and Hawkins, Holtman, Rossman and Jayne each had two hits.

Western's only run was an unearned one in the fourth. With one out, Lisa Pendergrast (Sr., Bow/Burlington-Edison) walked, advanced to second on a single by Liza Teichler (Sr., Sammamish/Skyline) and scored on a throwing error on a fielder's choice by Caitlin Dotlich (Fr., Sedro-Woolley/Burlington-Edison).

Michelle Wrigley (Fr., Bothell/Inglemoor) and Meghan Flem (So., Hood River, OR/Hood River Valley) had back-to-back singles for the Vikings in the fifth.