Walling, a transfer from Fresno State University, said everything has seemed to work out with her decision to play for Western. I’m so excited and so excited to get to do it with them.” They’ve stuck together through the whole thing. They care for each other, play for each other and sacrifice for each other and we’ve had a lot of ups and downs. “It’s something you dream of,” Dolfo said. In her 31st year leading the Vikings, Dolfo will finally be coaching in a national championship game. Western led by as many as 12 in the final quarter and sealed the game at the charity stripe in the closing minutes. (Photo by Michael Wade)Ī bank shot 3-pointer from junior Avery Dykstra put Western up by nine in the fourth quarter, its biggest lead of the game, and from then on, it felt like the Vikings were on their way to Friday’s championship. Ten minutes away from punching their ticket to the national championship for the first time.Ĭarmon Dolfo, the 31-year Western Washington University women's coach, leads her team into its first national championship game Friday in Birmingham, Alabama. The Vikings led 56-51 heading into the final 10 minutes of the game. Western’s answer to North Georgia breaking its run was shutting the Nighthawks down for the next six-and-a-half minutes, not surrendering a single basket, giving up only five points at the free-throw line down that stretch. The Nighthawks responded with a 3-pointer, but in came the stalwart Vikings’ defense. If you can guard Brooke in practice you can guard anyone.”Īfter a pair of traded baskets to open the third quarter, Western rolled into a 9-0 run and 48-40 lead early in the second half. We go against each other every day in practice. “We have people waiting to come in and they’re ready for it. “We’re so deep that if someone gets in foul trouble it doesn’t really shake us too much,” Duff said. Senior Emma Duff said the Vikings’ depth is what makes them so special. “Brooke has confidence in them and we kept her rested for the second half and she stepped up and her defense was amazing.” “Truitt Reilly did awesome and Carley did as well,” Dolfo said of having Walling sit with two fouls. The Eagles added four more runs for good measure, thanks to three bases-loaded walks drawn by Shigenaka, Kaedon Mas and Roellig and a sacrifice fly by McEvoy.Western Washington University junior forward Katrina Gimmaka puts up a shot against North Georgia in Wednesday's 74-68 WWU win, which sends the Vikings to their first NCAA Division II national title game Friday. “To be honest, I wasn’t thinking I would be able to come up clutch because of my past at bats, but I just went up there and tried to make contact and put it in play.”
Capacete lined a one-out single to center field, scoring Roellig, Etiwanda’s eventual winning run.Ĭapacete wasn’t too confident before his winning hit. Two batters later, an intentional walk to Ebel and a Michael Harrison infield single loaded the bases.
The Eagles’ offense finally broke through in the 11th inning.Īusten Roellig doubled to start things off for Etiwanda. “It was a tough catch to make but I ended up coming down with it.” “I was just trying to stay relaxed because there was a lot on the line,” Shigenaka said. After a strikeout, Kendall Ward hit a deep fly ball that Etiwanda right fielder Tyler Shigenaka caught with an over-the-shoulder, diving catch to save the game for the Eagles. Govel, Martoccia and Owen Park hit consecutive one-out singles to load the bases.
The Sea Kings had a chance to win in the bottom of the seventh inning. Rizzo picked off Tyler McEvoy in the fifth. In the first inning Martoccia, at catcher, picked off Armando Briseno at first base. PV twice picked runners off at first base. We made some mistakes on the bases they had some chances to score, it was just a great baseball game and I’m glad we were able to come up on top.”īoth defenses complimented the game’s dominant pitching performances. “It could have gone the other way in so many different situations. “Their starter pitched fantastic, and our freshman Brady Ebel pitched just as well,” Etiwanda coach Don Furnald said.
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