Tuesday, May 3, 2016

WILDCATS COME BACK TO WIN GNAC CHAMPIONSHIPS: In a season where they have played dominantly, Central Washington also showed they can be resilient.

The Wildcats became the first team to work their way back through the consolation bracket to win the GNAC Softball Championships, claiming the trophy with a pair of victories over Western Oregon, 11-2 in five innings and 9-3, Saturday at the Saint Martin’s University Softball Field.

The No. 1 seeded Wildcats lost their opener on Thursday to Saint Martin’s, 2-0, but roared back to take both games on Friday to set up the showdown with the Wolves on Saturday.

In the process, head coach Mike Larabee, in his first season at Central Washington, earned his 300th victory with the win in game one. The Wildcats’ Alexa Olague was named the tournament’s most valuable player after she went 8 for 13 in the five games with two runs, four RBI, a double and a home run.

Central Washington improved to 38-14 on the season and earns the GNAC’s automatic berth to the NCAA Division II Tournament. Western Oregon finished their season at 31-24.

GAME 1
Western Oregon opened scoring in the second when Lexi Jennings hammered a two-run home run to left field. The Wildcats responded with a vengeance, hammering out six runs in the top of the third. The first three batters in the frame had hits, with Kailyn Campbell’s double to center field scoring Celine Fowler. Campbell scored on an error and pinch-runner Michaela Hazlett gave CWU the lead on a sacrifice fly by Brielle Copodonna.

Taylor Ferleman and Sammy Morris followed with singles and both scored on a double by Andrea Hamada, who later scored on two illegal pitch calls to close the inning. The Wildcats added a single run in the fourth when pinch-runner Tammy Wilkening scored on a two-out double by Copodonna.

A two-out rally in the top of the fifth close it out for Central Washington. Fowler reached on a single and Campbell and Olague were hit by pitches to load the bases for Wilkerson, who clubbed a grand slam to left center field to stake the Wildcats to the 11-2 lead. Western Oregon put one runner on in the bottom of the fifth, but could not score.

Kayla Smith improved to 8-0 with the win in the circle, allowing two runs on five hits with three walks and four strikeouts. Alyson Boytz took her first loss of the tournament for the Wolves, allowing six runs on eight hits with a walk and a strikeout in 2-2 innings. She dropped to 13-8 on the season.

Fowler led Central Washington by going 3 for 4 with rwo runs. Jennings went 2 for 2 with two RBI to pace Western Oregon. Central’s Hazlett, who entered as a pitcher-runner in the fifth, stole a base to become the Wildcats’ career leader.

GAME 2
Central Washington looked to break it open early, scoring three in the bottom of the first. The Wildcats’ first three batters reached base with Fowler opening scoring when she plated on Wilkerson’s sacrifice fly. Campbell and Olague scored on Copodonna’s triple to center field.

Western Oregon kept it close by scoring a pair in the top of the second. Mercedes Green led off with a single and came home on a triple to center field by Brandy Knowles, who later plated on a wild pitch. Central Washington responded with three runs in a two-out rally in the home half of the frame. A fielder’s choice, single and hit batter loaded the bases for Wilkerson, who reached on a fielder’s choice to score Fowler. Campbell scored when Copodonna drew a bases loaded walk and pinch-hitter Wilkening scored on Laura Steiner’s single.

The Wolves added one in the top of the third with Emma Alfonso singling and scoring two batters later on a fielder’s choice. Western Oregon capitalized on two Central Washington errors to load the bases with two outs in the bottom of third, but Kiana Wood struck out Alfonso to end the inning.

Central Washington added single runs in both the fourth and fifth. Campbell led off the fourth with a single and scored on scored on a single to center field by Wilkerson. Ferleman led off the fifth with a single, advanced to second on an error and eventually scored on a single by pinch-hitter Taelor Griffin.

Wood went the distance for Central Washington to improve to 18-6 on the season. She allowed three runs on five hits with a walk and two strikeouts. Haley Fabian (4-1) took the loss for Western Oregon, allowing seven runs on three hits with a walk and two strikeouts in 1.2 innings of work. Fowler and Campbell each had two hits to lead the Wildcats offensively with Wilkerson collecting three RBI. Knowles had two hits to pace Western Oregon.

GNAC CHAMPIONSHIPS RECORD RUNDOWN: Central Washington became the first team in the four-year history of the tournament to come back from a first round loss to win the championship...Saint Martin’s Jackie Schmaeling tied the tournament record with her triple in Thursday’s game against Central Washington...Concordia’s Rylleigh Zbaraschuk set a tournament record with her two sacrifice hits against Western Oregon on Thursday. The Cavaliers also set the team record with four sacrifice hits in the same game. View Complete Record Book

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS: With the No. 2 seed, Central Washington is the highest seeded team in their bracket in the NCAA Division II West Region Softball Tournament. Here is a quick look at the other three teams in the bracket.

Azusa Pacific: The No. 3 seed and the tournament host, the Cougars secured the PacWest Conference’s automatic berth with a pair of 3-2 and 1-0 victories over No. 17 ranked Cal Baptist in the their final doubleheader of the regular season. The wins moved Azusa Pacific to 38-10 overall after finishing with a 25-5 mark in league play. Nicki Sprague is the Cougars’ leading hitter with a .453 average, 67 hits, 10 doubles, 6 home runs and 51 RBI. Carly Xepoleas leads the pitching staff with a 15-5 record and a 1.62 earned run average, having allowed 41 runs, 26 earned, in 112 innings.

UC San Diego: The West’s No. 6 seed, UC San Diego claimed the CCAA’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament by sweeping the conference’s 10-team tournament. The Tritons started its tournament run by upsetting No. 3 ranked Humboldt State, 6-4, before ending with a 5-2 win over No. 14 ranked Chico State in the tournament final. The Tritons enter the West Regional with a 36-19 overall record and went 23-15 in CCAA play. Kelsi Maday leads the UCSD offense with a .373 batting average, 62 hits, 12 doubles, six home runs and 37 RBI. Lexi Edwards leads the pitching staff with a 16-8 record and 2.00 earned run average, striking out 75 in 168 innings.

Dixie State: The Trailblazers earned the No. 7 seed and are in their eighth straight regional tournament. Dixie State enters the tournament with a 36-13 overall record and finished tied for second in the PacWest Conference with Cal Baptist with a 24-8 mark. The Trailblazers closed their regular season by splitting a four-game series with Concordia-Irvine. Janessa Bassett leads Dixie State with a .479 average with 80 hits, 17 doubles and 28 RBI. Aryn Feickert leads the pitching staff with a 20-4 record and 1.78 earned run average, allowing 50 runs, 39 earned, and striking out 169 in 153 innings.

THE OTHER HALF: The other half of the West Region Tournament bracket features No. 1 seed Humboldt State, No. 4 Chico State, No. 5 Cal Baptist and No. 8 Sonoma State. The four teams will play their section of the bracket in Arcata, Calif. The winner will advance to play the winner of the Azusa Pacific side of the bracket next weekend in a super regional series at a site to be determined.

GNAC ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM: A change of divisions for Concordia outfielder Meghan Luebbert and Central Washington head coach Mike Larabee did little to slow down their winning ways.

Luebbert was selected by conference coaches as the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Softball Player of the Year while Larabee was honored as the Coach of the Year, leading the list of honorees on the 2016 GNAC Softball All-Conference Team.

Making the transition from NAIA membership to NCAA Division II with the rest of her Concordia teammates, Luebbert proved one of the top offensive threats in the conference as she led the Cavaliers to a tie for second place in the GNAC regular season standings and the No. 3 seed in the GNAC Championships.

The conference’s leading hitter with a .456 batting average, .497 on base percentage and an .857 slugging percentage, Luebbert finished the regular season with 83 hits, 59 runs, 17 doubles, four triples and 16 home runs. She had 27 multi-hit games and at one point owned a 19-game hitting streak. She ended the regular season with a 4 for 4 performance at Simon Fraser on Apr. 24 that included three home runs, tying the GNAC single game record.

Luebbert leads five total Concordia selections to the team, including four first team selections: freshman pitcher Jessica Lambourn, shortstop Taylor Bussey and third baseman Taylor Copher.

In his first season coaching Central Washington after six seasons at Division I Arkansas, Larabee led the Wildcats to an impressive 34-13 record and its first conference title since 2011. Picked to finish fifth in the GNAC Preseason Coaches Poll, Central Washington opened the season by winning 12 of its first 13 games and never had more than two losses in a row. The Wildcats ended the regular season leading the league in batting average (.339) and pitching (2.89 earned run average). The 34 wins runs Larabee’s record as a collegiate head coach to 297-341.

The Wildcats’ leading pitcher, Kiana Wood, was named the GNAC Pitcher of the Year. The junior finished a 17-5 record and was third in the GNAC with a 2.51 earned run average, allowing 56 runs and striking out 61 in 37 appearances and 142 innings. Wood threw a complete game three-hitter to beat Academy of Art 3-0 on Feb. 12 and struck out a season high eight batters in five innings in a 2-1 win over Western Oregon on Mar. 25.

Wood leads five Central Washington selections to the All-Conference Team. Joining Wood on the first team are senior Austin Wilkerson and first baseman Kailyn Campbell.

Northwest Nazarene’s Kylie Orr was selected as the Freshman of the Year in addition to earning first team honors. The Crusaders’ leading batter with a .393 average, Orr also led NNU with 59 hits, 12 doubles, five home runs, 35 RBI and a .587 slugging percentage. Orr earned GNAC Player of the Week for the week of Apr. 4-10 after she hit .619 (13 for 21) with six runs, five RBI, two doubles and a grand slam in six games against Concordia and Saint Martin’s.

Simon Fraser’s Tori Belton and Northwest Nazarene’s Brooke Bonsen share the league’s Newcomer of the Year award. Belton, a transfer from British Columbia’s Douglas College,  finished with a 10-10 record and a 5.04 earned run average in 107 innings for the Clan, striking out 53. Bonsen, a transfer from Washington’s Bellevue College, led the Crusaders in the circle with a 9-12 record and a 3.56 earned run average. In 129.2 innings, Bonsen allowed 84 runs and struck out 64.

Rounding out the first team selections are Western Washington first baseman Emily Benson, Western Oregon second baseman Kelsie Gardner, Saint Martin’s outfielder Mary Dettling, Simon Fraser outfielder Rachel Proctor and Montana State Billings’ outfielder Heather Tracy.
The 2016 GNAC Softball All-Conference Team includes 16 unanimous selections and 13 repeat selections. Saint Martin’s third baseman Megan Miller and Western Washington outfielder Alexie Levin, both second team honorees, became four-time all-conference selections. Levin was a first team selection in 2013, 2014 and 2015 while Miller was a second team selection in 2015, a first teamer in 2014 and honorable mention in 2013.

Saint Martin’s led the league with six total team selections. Central Washington, Concordia, Montana State Billings and Western Oregon each yielded five selections. View Complete Team