SPOKANE, Wash. – Whitworth softball withstood a rain delay to finish off the 2024 season on a high note, topping Pacific 10-0 and 2-0 on senior day at Diana Marks field.
Senior Corinne Vasiloff started both games on the mound and earned two wins, she pitched 9.2 scoreless innings between the two games, struck out five, and retired 27 of 32 batters to cap her terrific career at Whitworth.
The Pirates (15-25, 11-17 NWC) recovered from a poor Saturday showing and looked sharp as they honored seven seniors. Pacific (9-31, 5-23 NWC) wrapped up its second consecutive last-place finish in the Northwest Conference.
Game 1 – Whitworth 10, Pacific 0
Vasiloff (9-12) pitched a five-inning shutout through a rainy game one, and the Pirate offense tied a season-high of 10 runs to complete the mercy rule.
Vasiloff made quick work of the Boxer lineup, allowing one hit on just 41 pitches, she retired 14 of 15 batters faced (and struck out two). Johnson also had a day going 3-3 at the plate with three RBIs and turning a double play to get Whitworth out of the third inning.
With two out and one on in the second the Pirates pushed across seven runs in a disastrous inning for the Boxers which included a pair of errors from third baseman Chloe Knepp and five walks before Jazz Johnson capped it off with a base hit to center, driving in two runs to make it 7-0. Pacific only got out of the inning after Johnson was called out for leaving early while stealing second.
Haley Montoya piled it on in the third crushing a two-out double off the base of the wall to score Reagan Ellis and Lizzy Bradford from first for a 9-0 Pirate lead. Johnson delivered a double of her own to the left field gap to score Dillon and give Whitworth its tenth run of the afternoon.
Pacific starter Haleigh Colfelt (2-7) was relieved by Kayla Baba midway through that second inning, but it was no use as Whitworth batted through the order. Abby Surowiec finished the final two innings and allowed three runs on four hits. Pacific's defense committed three untimely errors, only one of Whitworth's ten runs was earned.
Game 2 – Whitworth 2, Pacific 0
Vasiloff, Momi Lyman, and Kaleigh Bauerle combined for the Pirates' second shutout of the day, and a pair of two-out doubles in the fourth inning from Taylor Hofheins and Reagan Ellis lifted the Pirates past the Boxers in the season finale.
Vasiloff was relieved after 4.2 innings of scoreless work, and Lyman added two innings of scoreless relief before senior Bauerle earned the save retiring Savannah Roddey. Pacific starter Karlie Espinoza (4-12) held the Pirates scoreless for three innings, but allowed three hits and two runs in the fourth which was the difference.
With two outs and the bases empty, the Pirates managed to push across the first two runs of the game stringing together three straight hits. Jessica Rusconi sparked the rally with a single to center, Taylor Hofheins and Reagan Ellis followed suit with back-to-back doubles to the gap in right center, putting Whitworth ahead 2-0. Hofheins finished 3-3 with one of the two RBIs.
The Pirates threatened with runners in the fifth, but Kylie Koszykowski was popped up with two outs, leaving the game at 2-0, but Whitworth's pitching held it down. The offense tallied six hits but it was enough to get them the win on a rain soaked day.
