Wednesday, March 13, 2019

ANOTHER NO-NO: Until this season, the GNAC had seen just four no-hitters thrown since 2010. Now conference hurlers have thrown three this season, with the latest one being the most unusual.

Montana State Billings freshman Alyssa Etheridge picked up the no-hitter in Friday’s second-game victory over Saint Martin’s in Seattle. She allowed seven walks and struck out five and also had an unearned run against her, that scoring by way of an error and a bases-loaded walk in the third in the 8-1 victory. It is the first time in conference history that a pitcher has thrown a no-hitter in which she gave up a run.

Not only was the no-hitter the third this season, but the first in MSUB history. Northwest Nazarene’s Jordan Adams threw the first no-hitter of the season, 9-0 over CSU-Pueblo on Feb. 7. Western Washington’s Makinlee Sellevold threw the second in an 8-0, six-inning win over the Yellowjackets on Mar. 2.

MORE WEATHER CHANGES: The winter weather that settled over the Northwest in February continues to affect schedules well into March.
Montana State Billings’ scheduled four-game series at home against Western Oregon has been postponed due to a blanket of snow that still covers the school’s softball field. One doubleheader has been rescheduled for Apr. 8 in Portland while the second had yet to be rescheduled.

Saint Martin’s saw its four-game series last weekend against Montana State Billings moved from Lacey to Seattle University’s field due to unplayable field conditions. The Saints are scheduled to play their first home games of the season on Wednesday against Northwest (Wash.).

Central Washington saw its four-game series against Northwest Nazarene moved from Ellensburg to Nampa, also because of snow.

THIS WEEK'S GNAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
PLAYER
Theresa Moyle, Central Washington
IF/C • 5-4 • Sophomore • Weiser, Idaho

Moyle led the Wildcats to a four-game sweep at Northwest Nazarene by hitting .778, going 7 for 9 with nine runs, 10 RBI, a double and four home runs. She finished the week with a .833 on-base percentage and a 2.222 slugging percentage. Moyle went 2 for 3 with three runs and a three-run homer in the first in Saturday’s 9-6 second-game win. Moyle opened Sunday by going 3 for 4 with three runs and six RBI, five of which came on a pair of home runs, in a 10-9 victory. She closed by going 2 for 3 with two runs and an RBI in the 10-4 win.

Also Nominated: Mckenzie Smith (Concordia), Emery Norwood (Saint Martin’s), Tyler Creach (Western Oregon), Seli Aholelei (Western Washington).

PITCHER
Shearyna Labasan, Western Washington
P/3B • 5-3 •  Senior • Mililani, Hawaii

Playing her first games of the season after a knee injury, Labasan proceeded to win go 3-0 and compiled a 0.84 earned run average for the week. She allowed two runs on 16 hits in 16.2 innings, striking out eight and walking just two. Labasan earned the win in Saturday’s 3-2 opener at Concordia in relief, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out two in 1.2 innings. She then won the nightcap, allowing five hits and striking out five. At Western Oregon on Sunday, Labasan allowed three hits in two innings of relief in the opener before allowing two runs on seven hits in the nightcap, a 10-2, six-inning victory.

Alyssa Etheridge, Montana State Billings
P/1B • 5-9 •  Freshman • Grants Pass, Ore.

Etheridge threw the third no-hitter in the GNAC this season, and the first in MSUB history, in Sunday’s 8-1 win over Saint Martin’s. She allowed seven walks and struck out five, with the one run allowed coming via a bases-loaded walk.

Also Nominated: Mckenzie Smith (Concordia), Brandi Schoessler (Saint Martin’s), Haley Fabian (Western Oregon).

AROUND THE GNAC
CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• A change of venue did nothing to slow down Central Washington, which swept a four-game series from Northwest Nazarene. The Wildcats won Friday’s games 2-1 and 9-6 before taking the Saturday twinbill 10-9 and 10-4.

• Originally scheduled to be played in Ellensburg, snow forced the series to move to Nampa, Idaho.

• Sophomore Theresa Moyle was named the GNAC Softball Player of the Week after an impressive week where she hit .778. Moyle went 7 for 9 with nine runs, 10 RBI, a double, four home runs and a 2.222 slugging percentage. Moyle went 2 for 3 with three runs and a three-run homer in the first in Saturday’s 9-6 second-game win. Moyle opened Sunday by going 3 for 4 with three runs and six RBI, five of which came on a pair of home runs, in a 10-9 victory. She closed by going 2 for 3 with two runs and an RBI in the 10-4 win. Moyle has a .552 batting average in 11 games and is second in the GNAC with seven home runs.

• Sophomore Lexie Strasser took two of the four wins in the circle. She allowed one run on six hits and struck out four to win Friday’s opener and then allowed nine runs, four earned, on 13 hits with three strikeouts in Saturday’s opener. Strasser also picked the save in Saturday’s second game, striking out three in 1.1 innings. Strasser is third in the GNAC with a 2.14 earned run average and leads the league with two saves.

• Sophomore Maddy Zerr finished with a .582 batting average, going 7 for 12 with two runs, five RBI, a double and a home run. Her week was topped by a 2 for 4 performance in Sunday’s opener with a double and a solo home run. Zerr enters the week with a .281 batting average in 12 games.

• Central Washington enters the week with a .305 batting average and 3.90 earned run average. The Wildcats are tied for 17th in Division II in home runs per game (1.00) and is 26th in hit batters (3).

• The Wildcats head north this week for a doubleheader at Western Washington on Saturday and a twinbill at Simon Fraser on Sunday.

CONCORDIA
• Concordia procured a split in its first conference games of the season, dropping games to Western Washington on Saturday 3-2 (10 innings) and 3-0 before sweeping Simon Fraser on Sunday, 6-2 and 1-0.

• Senior Mckenzie Smith led the Cavaliers both at the plate and in the circle. She finished with a .462 batting average in the four games, going 6 for 13 with one run and one triple. She went 2 for 3 in Saturday’s second game with WWU and in Sunday’s second game with Simon Fraser. At pitcher, Smith allowed three runs, one earned, on seven hits with 13 strikeouts in 14 innings. She allowed the runs in Saturday’s second game on five hits, walking five and struck out five. Smith then threw a two-hit shutout in Sunday’s second game, walking two and striking out eight. Smith enters the week with a .364 batting average and a 3.96 earned run average.

• Junior pitcher Sally Boyles had a 2.14 earned run average in her two games. She took the close 3-2, 10-inning loss in Saturday’s first game with WWU, allowing three runs on three hits with three strikeouts in 9.1 innings. Boyles earned the win in the opener with Simon Fraser, allowing two runs on six hits with a walk and a strikeout to improve to 4-4 on the season. Boyles leads CU and is seventh in the GNAC with a 2.96 ERA. She ranks 19th in Division II with 0.64 walks allowed per seven innings.

• Concordia enters the week with a .276 batting average and is third in the GNAC with a 3.81 earned run average. The Cavaliers are 14th in Division II with 0.58 double plays per game.

• Concordia heads east to Nampa, Idaho, this week for a four-game series at Northwest Nazarene on Friday and Saturday.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Montana State Billings dropped three of four games in a GNAC series with Saint Martin’s in Seattle last week. The Yellowjackets split the Friday games, losing the opener 3-2 before taking the nightcap 8-1. They lost both Saturday games 3-2 and 2-0.

• Freshman Alyssa Etheridge pitched the third no-hitter in the GNAC this season and the first is MSUB history in Friday’s second game. She allowed one unearned run, coming home on an error and a bases-loaded walk, on seven walks with five strikeouts. The performances earned Etheridge selection as the GNAC Co-Pitcher of the Week. The freshman enters the week leading the Yellowjackets with a 3-4 record and 3.90 earned run average.

• Junior Jolene House led the Yellowjackets offensively with a .455 average, going 5 for 11 with three runs and four RBI. She went 2 for 3 with two runs scored in Friday’s second game and had single hits in the remaining three games. House enters the week with a .450 batting average in eight games.

• Freshman Rylan Austin batted .308 in the four-game set, going 4 for 13 with a run scored. Her weekend was topped by a 2 for 4 performance in Friday’s opener. Austin enters the week with a .308 batting average and is tied for 28th in Division II with 0.33 sacrifice flies per game.

• Montana State Billings enters the week with a .263 batting average and 4.36 earned run average.

• Thanks to snow in Billings, the Yellowjackets’ scheduled four-game series with Western Oregon this weekend has been postponed. The team does not play next until the Stanislaus Tournament of Champions, Mar. 29-31.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Despite having its four-game series against Central Washington moved to Nampa, Northwest Nazarene could not take advantage as the team was swept by the Wildcats. The Nighthawks dropped Friday’s games 2-1 and 9-6 and Saturday’s games 10-9 and 10-4.

• Junior Brittany Genuardi batted .462 for the Nighthawks, going 6 for 13 with three runs, six RBI and a pair of home runs. She did most of her damage on Saturday, going 2 for 4 in the opener with an RBI single in the sixth and then went 3 for 3 with a solo homer in the second and a three-run shot in the third inning of the nightcap. Genuardi enters the week with a .286 batting average

• Junior Madison Strickler also went 6 for 13 in the four-game set with three runs, an RBI and a triple. She opened the series by going 2 for 3 with a run in Friday’s opener and then went 3 for 4 in Saturday’s opener, which included RBI singles in the first and sixth. Strickler has a .500 batting average in 15 games, which ranks 25th in Division II.

• Senior Anna Williams batted .429 in the series, going 6 for 14 with four runs, four RBI and two home runs. Williams went 2 for 4 in Friday’s nightcap, smashing a three-run homer in the sixth, and went 3 for 3 in Saturday’s opener with three runs and a solo home run in the fifth. Williams is third in the GNAC with a .435 batting average. She leads the GNAC and ranks eighth in Division II with eight home runs, ranks 14th in Division II with 0.40 home runs per game and 25th nationally with a .913 slugging percentage.

• The Nighthawks enter the week second in the GNAC with a .311 batting average to go with a 4.86 earned run average. The Nighthawks tied for 17th in Division II with 1.00 home runs per game.

• Northwest Nazarene is back at home this weekend, hosting Concordia for a four-game series on Friday and Saturday.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Despite moving their four-game series from Lacey to Seattle due to field conditions, Saint Martin’s successfully took three of four games from Montana State Billings. The Saints split Friday’s games, winning the opener 3-2 and losing the nightcap 8-1. The Saints took both Saturday games 3-2 and 2-0.

• Sophomore Emily Norwood batted .429 in the four games, going 3 for 7 with two runs while drawing four walks as the team’s No. 2 hitter. Her week was highlighted by a 2 for 3 performance in Friday’s second game with a run scored in the third. The games were Norwood’s first of the season.

• Senior Lauren Diuco batted .300 in the four games, batting 3 for 10. She spread her hits out over three games and had her lone RBI in Friday’s opener, scoring a run on a groundout. Diuco leads the Saints with a .327 batting average.

• Junior Brandi Schoessler won all three games for the Saints in the circle, allowing five runs on 13 hits with seven strikeouts in 13 relief innings. Schoessler earned the win in Friday’s opener, allowing one run on two hits in 4.1 innings. After throwing in Friday’s nightcap, Schoessler allowed just three hits in four innings to win in Saturday’s opener and allowed one run and struck out four in 2.1 innings to win the second day. Schoessler is seventh in the GNAC with a 2.26 earned run average with a 7-1 record.

• Saint Martin’s enters the week with a .266 batting average and 4.71 earned run average. The Saints are 22nd in Division II with 0.50 double plays turned per game.

• Saint Martin’s will host Northwest (Wash.) for a non-conference doubleheader on Wednesday before hitting the road for doubleheaders at Simon Fraser on Saturday and at Western Washington on Sunday.

SIMON FRASER
• Simon Fraser took four losses in its first weekend of conference play. The Clan took two losses at Western Oregon on Saturday, 6-3 and 9-3, before dropping 6-2 and 1-0 decisions to Concordia on Sunday.

• Senior Samantha Ruffett led the Clan with a .500 batting average on the road trip, going 5 for 10 with an RBI and a double. Her week was capped by a 3 for 3 effort in the opener against Concordia, including an RBI double in the second. Ruffett is batting .318 for the Clan and has started nine of 10 games.

• Junior Amanda Janes batted .417 in the four games, going 5 for 12 with a run, four RBI, a double and a home run. Janes opened the WOU series by going 2 for 4 with a pair of RBI singles and went 2 for 3 in the nightcap with a two-run homer in the third. Janes enters the week with a .353 batting average and ranks 11th in Division II with 1.40 runs batted in per game.

• Senior Jessica Tate was effective in the circle in Sunday’s 1-0 loss to Concordia, allowing one run on four hits with three walks and three strikeouts. Tate has a 1.27 earned run average in three appearances. It was her first complete game and second start of the season.

• Simon Fraser enters the week third in the GNAC with a .309 batting average along with a 4.18 earned run average. The Clan is second in Division II with 0.80 double plays turned per game, having turned eight in 10 games. Individually, freshman Bonnie Whitford is among the Division II leaders in toughest to strike out. She has yet to strike out in 31 at-bats.

WESTERN OREGON
• Western Oregon went 3-1 to open conference play at home. The Wolves swept a Saturday doubleheader with Simon Fraser, 6-3 and 9-3, and took Sunday’s opener with Western Washington 5-2 before losing the nightcap 10-2 in six innings. Western Oregon opened the week with a 3-1 loss to Saint Rose on Monday to close the PFX Athletics Tournament.

• Senior Cheyanne Rimer led the Wolves with a .600 batting average in the five games, going 9 for 15 with six runs, two RBI, a double and two home runs. Rimer went 2 for 3 against Saint Rose and then opened the SFU doubleheader by going 2 for 3 with two runs in the opener. Rimer had a solo home run in the SFU nightcap and went 2 for 3 in the final against WWU. Rimer is seventh in the GNAC with a .395 batting average.

• Senior Jenna Kelly batted .400 in the five games, going 6 for 15 with two runs and a home run. Her week was topped by a 2 for 3 performance in Sunday’s opener with Western Washington, which included a solo home run. Kelly enters the week with a .275 batting average.

• Senior Haley Fabian went 1-1 in the circle and led the Wolves with a 1.62 earned run average in two appearances. She took the loss against Saint Rose on Monday, allowing three runs, one earned, on four hits with two walks and five strikeouts. Fabian was the winner in Saturday’s opener with Simon Fraser, allowing three runs, two earned, on 10 hits. Fabian enters the week with a 4-1 record and 1.73 earned run average.

• Western Oregon leads the GNAC with a .327 batting average and a 2.57 earned run average. The Wolves also lead the league and rank 29th in Division II with a .972 fielding percentage.

• The Wolves host Northwest Christian for a doubleheader on Wednesday in their only games of the week.

• Simon Fraser is set to play at home for its next 10 games. The homestand begins on Saturday with a doubleheader against Saint Martin’s and a Sunday twinbill against Central Washington.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington improved to 7-1 in conference play by taking three of four games in Oregon. The Vikings swept Concordia on Saturday, 3-2 (10 innings) and 3-0. The Vikings lost game one to Western Oregon on Sunday, 5-2, before taking a 10-2, six-inning win in the nightcap.

• Senior Shearyna Labasan was named the GNAC Co-Pitcher of the Week after she came back from a knee injury to go 3-0 with a 0.84 earned run average in four games. She allowed two runs on 16 hits in 16.2 innings, striking out eight and walking just two. Labasan earned the win in Saturday’s opener at Concordia in relief, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out two in 1.2 innings. She then won the nightcap, allowing five hits and striking out five. At Western Oregon, Labasan allowed three hits in two innings of relief in the opener before allowing two runs on seven hits in the nightcap, a 10-2, six-inning victory.

• Senior Makinlee Sellevold led the Vikings offensively with a .462 batting average, going 6 for 13 with three runs, three RBI, a double and a home run. She capped the week by going 3 for 3 in Sunday’s nightcap with two runs and a solo home run in the sixth. Sellevold enters the week with a .321 batting average.

• Senior Emily Benson went 5 for 15 in the four games, including going 2 for 4 with a two-run homer in the opener against Concordia. Benson leads WWU and is fifth in the GNAC with a .414 batting average.

• Western Washington enters the week with a .293 batting average and is second in the GNAC with a 3.18 earned run average.

• The Vikings will host Central Washington for a doubleheader on Saturday and Saint Martin’s for two games on Sunday.