Simson Garcia | Sports Editor
Tied with Montana State and Simon Fraser at 13-13 in conference record, Wolves softball clinched the fourth and final playoff spot on senior day, April 29, beating out Montana. After shutting out Simon Fraser 8-0, the opposing team reversed the doubleheader, shutting the Wolves out 4-0 on April 28. A second opponent, the Western Washington Vikings, entered Western’s home field on April 29. Their doubleheader matchup started after a rain delay, but the Wolves eventually concluded their home stand with two game playoff clinching runs: 11-10, and 11-2.
The Wolves celebrated two seniors, pitcher Lizzet Dominguez and outfielder Zoe Clark, in their final career home games.
“I’m just so proud of everyone. I think this is a perfect time for everyone to gel as we go into playoffs,” Dominguez commented.
Only one hit traveled past Western’s defense as pitcher Haley Fabian, junior, almost added a complete no hitter in the shutout. The visiting team swung hard and got their lone hit in the fifth inning, but most contact was limited to fly outs.
Western’s offense went to work in every inning earning one hit in each and 12 overall on the game. The Wolves quickly got to the bag early with junior infielder Ryanne Huffman. She stole both second and third bases in aims for home base and the games first score.
Three home run shots were also delivered by the Wolves in the takedown of their opponents.
While hitting came in bunches in game one, Wolf bats only found two while runners on base couldn’t reach home in the immediate rematch. Simon Fraser’s Alia Stachoski, second in GNAC pitching in strikeouts, got the Wolves looking and missing, fanning six in her complete game.
With two final home games to go, the Vikings were all that were left for the Wolves. The game provided the most action throughout the four-game span, as both teams batted a combined 30 total hits. The Wolves got out quickly with five runs in the first inning but it was the Vikings’s turn in the fifth. Washington filled the bases and a three-run double to left field got them back in it to tie, 5-5.
Both teams battled all the way up until an extra inning with the game, at 10 runs apiece. With two outs and two on, Western’s left fielder Ayanna Arceneaux, sophomore, singled to the right side for the walk-off game winner.
The walk-off and momentum flowed into the final matchup beginning where they left off with Arceneaux batting in two. Clark delivered, however, in her final home performance. Her first homer help put the Wolves up by several notches at 6-0.
Clark’s second home run to center field delivered the final play of the game.
“I think it’s great going into this weekend into the GNAC tournament with everybody being zero-zero. We’ll just go in with all the fight that we have and leave it all out on the field,” said Clark.
Before the GNAC tournament officially starts, one more away game is to be played with Western traveling to Portland for a matchup with Northwest Nazarene on May 3 at 7 p.m.
Contact the author at journalsports@wou.edu
Photo by: wouwolves.com
