Monday, February 9, 2015

PORTLAND, Ore. - Perhaps the best pitched game in GNAC baseball history has earned Central Washington's Brandon Williams GNAC Pitcher of the Week honors.

Williams didn't allow a hit or a walk and fanned 13 in defeating Saint Martin's 9-0 Saturday as the Wildcats opened their season sweeping a four-game non-conference series against the Saints.

Williams retired the first 17 hitters he faced before a Saint batter reached base on a two-out error in the sixth.  The only other batter to reach base came with two out in the seventh and final inning on a hit batter.

The no-hitter was just the fourth in GNAC history and the first since 2010.

Williams was one of 11 GNAC athletes to earn the weekly award in the sports of baseball, softball, track and field and men's and women's basketball.

Following is a recap of their accomplishments along with a list on honorable mention selections:

Baseball: Player -  Kyle Thomson, Northwest Nazarene (OF, 5-7, Sr., Enumclaw, WA) accounted for nearly a quarter of his team's runs in the Treasure Valley Icebreaker. Thomson recorded nine hits and also scored what proved to be the winning run in a 4-3 victory over future GNAC member Concordia. Four of his nine hits were doubles and he also drove in five runs.  Thomson was perfect in the field, recording 12 putouts and one assists without an error. He also stole two bases. Pitcher - Brandon Williams, Central Washington (RHP, 6-0, Sr., Auburn, WA) pitched a no-hitter in his first start of the season defeating Saint Martin's 9-0.   In seven innings, Williams recorded 13 strikeouts and didn't walk a batter.  SMU's only two base runners came on an error and hit batter.

Honorable Mention -  Darren Honeysett, Central Washington (OF, 6-0, Jr., Port Coquitlam, BC); Tanner Johnson, Montana State Billings (RHP, 6-3, Belgrade, MT); Brody Miller Montana State Billings (INF, 5-8, Sr., Missoula, MT); Blake Mitchell Northwest Nazarene (RHP, 6-0, Jr., Anaheim, CA); Chandler Tracy, Saint Martin’s (C/UTL, 6-2, Sr., Bellevue, WA); Darrien Moran, Western Oregon (LHP, 6-0, Jr., Federal Way, WA); Matt Taylor, Western Oregon (OF, 6-1, Sr., Corona, CA).

Men’s Basketball: Anye Turner, Western Washington (F, 6-7, Sr., Olympia, WA – Black Hills) scored 23 points and also had 23 rebounds and nine blocks in leading the Vikings  to a pair of 10-point road wins at Seattle Pacific (82-72) and MSU Billings (75-65).  Turner played a key role defensively in WWU’s win at SPU.  He had all five of the Vikings’ blocked shots as WWU held SPU to a 44.4 shooting percentage.  The Falcons came into the game ranked fourth nationally in field goal percentage shooting 52.1 percent.  Turner, who ranks sixth in GNAC history in career blocked shots with 152, converted 58.8 percent of his attempts, making 10 of 17.  He also had four assists and a steal without committing a turnover.

Honorable Mention: Travis Thompson, Alaska Anchorage (G, 6-1, Sr., Anchorage, AK – Dimond); Dom Williams, Central Washington (G, 5-11, Sr., Tacoma, WA – Curtis & Tacoma CC); Tyler Nelson, MSU Billings (F, 6-7, Sr., Roosevelt, UT – Central Wyoming);  Alex Birketoft, Northwest Nazarene (F, 6-8, Fr., Oelstykke, Denmark); Isaac Bianchini, Saint Martin’s (G, 6-1, So., Sedro Woolley, WA); Sango Niang, Simon Fraser (G, 6-0, Sr., Paris, France – Chaffey CC); Andy Avgi, Western Oregon (F, 6-6, Jr., Woodburn, OR).

Women's Basketball: Erin Chambers, Simon Fraser (G/F, 6-1, Sr., Mission, BC) scored 57 points  to move into second place on the GNAC’s all-time career scoring list with 1,782 points. The senior scored 25 points in Thursday’s 84-50 win over Central Washington as the Clan nailed 16 three-pointers. She followed that up with a 32-point, 11-rebound performance in a 83-67 win against Northwest Nazarene Saturday. Chambers made 9-of-13 shots put up from behind the arc while shooting 52 percent from the field. On the week she also had 14 rebounds and 12 assists.

Honorable Mention - Benissa Bulaya, Alaska (G, 5-6, Sr., Sacramento, CA); Megan Mullings, Alaska Anchorage (F, 6-1, Jr., Glendale, AZ); Jasmine Parker, Central Washington (F/C, 6-0, Jr., Spokane, WA); Ellie Logan, Northwest Nazarene (G, 5-9, Fr., Fossil, OR); Krista Stabler, Saint Martin’s (G, 5-6, Jr., Silverdale, WA); Dana Goularte, Western Oregon (F, 6-0, Sr., Port Orchard, WA); Kayla Bernsen, Western Washington (C, 6-3, Jr., Moses Lake, WA).

Men’s Track & Field:  Track – Josh Hanna, Western Oregon (Jr., Quincy, CA) and Rimar Christie, Northwest Nazarene (Sr., St. Michael, Barbados) … Hanna won the 800 meters at the Cougar Indoor in Pullman in a national-qualifying time of 1:54.36, finishing 1.12 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher.  His time adjusted for track size of 1:52.75 ranks 10th in GNAC history …  Christie won the 60 hurdles at the Boise State Indoor in a school-record time of 8.27.  The provisional qualifying time ranks fifth in GNAC history and No. 2 this season.   Field – Payton Lewis, Northwest Nazarene (Fr., Nampa, ID – Nampa Christian)  set his third school-record of the season placing second in the long jump with a vault of 22-11 ½.  Earlier this season he set school records in the pole vault and heptathlon.

Women’s Track & Field:  Track: Chelsey Knott, Northwest Nazarene (Fr., Parma, ID) finished second in the 60 hurdles in a provisional national qualifying time of 8.79 at the Boise State Indoor.  Her time also ranks third in GNAC history in the event.  Field – Taylor VanValey, Northwest Nazarene (So., Brush Prairie, WA – Hockinson) established at PNQ in the shot with a put of 44-6 ¾, moving into sixth place on the GNAC all-time Top 10 list.

Honorable Mention - Stephanie Stuckey, WOU (Jr., Tacoma, WA – Wilson); Emmi Collier, WOU (Jr., Warrenton, OR).

Softball:  Player – Amanda Evola, Western Oregon (OF, 5-7, Sr., Beaverton, OR) had 10 hits in 23 at bats as the Wolves won two of six games in the NFCA Division II Leadoff Classic at Tucson, Ariz.  Evola also scored six runs and stole a pair of bases.  Two of WOU’s losses were in extra innings.  Pitcher -  Makinlee Sellevold, Western Washington (Fr., Everett, WA - Cascade), making her collegiate debut, allowed just one hit – a one-out infield single in the first inning – in a 3-0 shutout of Chaminade.  Sellevold walked one batter, hit one and fanned four.   

Honorable Mention – Alyssa Slate, Saint Martin’s (2B, 5-4, So., Antioch, CA); Lizzet Dominguez, Western Oregon (P, 5-8, Fr., Kent, WA – Kentridge).