The softball team continued to struggle offensively, earning only one run in each game of Sunday’s doubleheader as swept the twinbill, 9-1 and 6-1, at Erv Lind Stadium.
In game one, (14-12) scored first when Jamee Rauch hit a one-out double and hustled home as Jana Rae Slayton hit a grounder that was misplayed by SeattleU. The Vikings threatened to score in the second inning, loading the bases on two singles and an error, but Redhawk starter Kelsey Reynolds () worked her way out of the jam by inducing a lineout and two pop outs.
kept the pressure on in the third inning as Jackie Heide led off with a single. After Slayton hit into a fielder’s choice, Brandi Scoggins laced a double to centerfield that scored Slayton. The Vikings broke the game open in the fourth inning with four runs, starting with Kristin Wilson reaching on an error, advancing on a wild pitch, and scoring on a groundout. Arielle Wiser hit a solo home run to left field, Rauch hit her second double of the game, and Heide connected on her eighth home run of the season to increase ’s lead to 6-0.
Cassie Cueto (, ) helped get one back in the top of the fifth with a solo home run. In the bottom of the sixth, Wiser led off with a double and scored on a single by Heide. After Slayton singled, Scoggins sent a shot through the right side that scored Heide and sent Slayton to third. As Scoggins took off to steal second base, drawing a throw, Slayton stole home to increase the Vikings’ lead to eight runs, ending the game.
Nichole Latham beat for the second time this season, allowing three hits and two walks in six innings while striking out 11 batters. Reynolds took the loss for the Redhawks, giving up 14 hits and nine runs, seven of them earned, while picking up one strikeout during the contest.
The story of the second game was missed opportunities for SeattleU while kept expanding its advantage, scoring in five of the six innings it was at bat. SeattleU had two runners on with one out in the first, but the inning ended in a double play. Heide drove in Rauch in the bottom of the first inning, and Brandi Campos’ double scored Jenna Wilson in the second inning to give the Vikings a 2-0 lead.
SeattleU would cut that lead in half in the third as Katie Petersen (, ) walked and came around to score on a double in the right-center field gap by Lisa Hill (). After SeattleU pitcher Hannah Klein (, ) set the Vikings down in order in the third, Jodie Schmehr () hit a two-out double down the right field line. Heather Hansen (, ) and Cueto followed with walks that loaded the bases. Katie Antich (, ) sent a grounder up the middle that looked like it would get through for a hit, but Viking pitcher Tori Rodgers deflected it to , who pitched it to Wiser for the force out that ended the threat.
Klein and Schmehr led off the sixth inning with back-to-back walks, but two strikeouts and a force out ended that opportunity. The Vikings would score single runs in the fourth and fifth innings as well as two runs in the sixth inning to earn their third victory over the Redhawks this season.
After Jessie Even pitched the first three innings for , Rodgers threw in the next three innings and earned the victory, walking five Redhawk batters but picking up four strikeouts. Klein gave up nine hits and six runs, five of them earned, in the loss while striking out one Viking hitter.
Schmehr went 2-for-2 in the second game with a walk, while Antich also had two hits during the doubleheader for . For , Heide finished the day 5-for-7 with three runs scored and four runs batted in, while Rauch and Scoggins both hit 3-for-7 in the two games.
(8-15) heads to , B.C., next Saturday, April 4 for a doubleheader against beginning at 2 p.m. The team then plays its next home games Monday, April 6, against with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. at Logan Field.