LACEY, Wash. – It came done to the final game of the season to determine if the Saints would reach the GNAC Championships. In a win or go-home game, Saint Martin's wiped Western Oregon 10-0 in five innings, walking off on a three-run home run by Kylee Vanderbout.
 
For the first time since 2017, the Saints are heading to the GNAC Championships, hosted by Western Oregon on Thursday, May 6. Saint Martin's earned the four seed, and will face regular season champion Northwest Nazarene at 2:30 pm.
 
Western Oregon managed to take the opening game of the day, 4-2 in extra innings. Both sides were locked at 2-2 since the fourth inning and it wasn't until the Wolves managed to manufacture two runs in the eighth to take the lead back.
 
Tia Ridings got the start for the Saints in game two, and the freshman looked like a senior. The lefty went five shutout innings, allowing only four hits, two walks, and two strikeouts.
 
Saint Martin's bats quickly got to work, scoring four in the first inning. After a Western Oregon error scored the first run, Olivia Schmidt drove in the second with a single to left. Karley Yoshioka, and Vanderbout followed up to extend the lead to 4-0.
 
Britney Patrick, who led the Saints in nearly every offensive category this season, connected on a two-run home run to left center, scoring Emery Norwood, to widen the lead to 6-0 in the second inning.
 
SMU added another run in the third before finally clinching the playoff berth in the fifth inning. With two runners on, Vanderbout once again delivered the damage. The sophomore laced a ball to left field, scoring the game-ending runs, and sending the Saints to the GNAC Championships.
 
Live stats and video of the GNAC Championships will be available on smusaints.com and gnacsports.com.