Tuesday, April 17, 2018

NOTHING DECIDED WITH TWO WEEKS TO GO: With just a fortnight left in the regular season and the only sure thing in the GNAC Championships chase is that nothing is sure.

Action over the last weekend makes sure that the race for the four tournament spots will come right down to the wire. Northwest Nazarene did a lot to cause that instability. The Nighthawks have won nine of their last 11 games and earned a share of the conference lead by taking three of four games from Central Washington. Both the Nighthawks and Wildcats are 13-7 with eight games to go.

The Nighthawks’ big wins over the Wildcats earned the team selection as the Red Lion/GNAC Team of the Week and earned NNU a sweep of the conference’s weekly awards. Anna Williams was selected as the GNAC Softball Player of the Week while Jordan Adams repeated as Pitcher of the Week.

An afterthought in the tournament conversation two weeks ago, Montana State Billings is playing their way in. After having started the conference season with a 2-6 record, the Yellowjackets have won six of their last seven games and currently sit in third place with an 8-7 record. The team will be busy down the stretch, however, with seven games scheduled in the next week. The ledger includes a make-up game with Western Washington on Friday in Portland and the make-up of a doubleheader with Concordia on Monday.

The Yellowjackets’ offense is led by senior Heather Tracy, who enters the week ranked fifth in Division II with her .516 batting average. Tracy is also third in Division II with 66 hits.

Three teams find themselves tied at 10-10 for the fourth and final GNAC Championships’ spot: Saint Martin’s, Western Oregon and Simon Fraser. The Saints will face the Clan at home on Sunday and Simon Fraser will play at Western Oregon on Sat., Apr. 28. The Wolves will host Montana State Billings for four games this weekend, which could juggle the standings even more.

The GNAC Softball Championships take place May 2-5 at Concordia University’s Porter Park. Advanced tickets are available for purchase at GNACTickets.com.

THIS WEEK'S GNAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
PLAYER
Anna Williams, Northwest Nazarene
UT • 5-6 •  Junior • Filer, Idaho

Williams led the Nighthawks’ continued surge in the GNAC softball race by batting .545 in four games against Central Washington, going 6 for 11 with five runs, six RBIs, two doubles, a triple and two home runs. In Friday’s opener, Williams went 2 for 3 and brought home the tying run on an RBI single to right in the 3-2 win. In Saturday’s opener, Williams went 2 for 3 again with a two-RBI double in the fourth and added a solo home run in the second game. With the wins, NNU moved into a tie with Central Washington for first place in the GNAC.

Also Nominated: Jordan Smith-Imes (Concordia), Cameron Cassinelli (Montana State Billings), Lindsay Miller (Saint Martin’s), Cheyanne Rimer (Western Oregon).

PITCHER
Jordan Adams, Northwest Nazarene
P/1B • 5-8 •  Freshman • Gig Harbor, Wash.

Adams earned her second straight selection after she won two more games for the Nighthawks to help NNU pull into a first-place tie in the GNAC with Central Washington. She compiled a 0.93 earned run average in 15 innings, allowing five runs, two earned, on 11 hits and three walks while striking out 10. Adams allowed two unearned runs in Friday’s opener with CWU on four hits and struck out seven for the 3-2 victory. She opened Saturday’s twinbill by allowing three runs, two earned, on five hits with a walk and three strikeouts to win 7-3. Adams closed the series with one inning of relief in the nightcap.

Also Nominated: Tori Muir (Concordia), Megan Dettling (Montana State Billings), Lindsay Miller (Saint Martin’s), Haley Fabian (Western Oregon).

AROUND THE GNAC
CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• After winning three of four games in its last two series, Central Washington dropped three of four at Northwest Nazarene to drop into a tie for first place with the Nighthawks. The Wildcats lost Friday’s opener, 3-2, then won 6-4 in the second game. The Nighthawks swept Saturday’s twinbill, both by 7-3 scores. Central opened the week on Monday with a doubleheader sweep of Simon Fraser.

• Sophomore Savannah Egbert led the Wildcats offensively once again as she batted .500 in the six games, going 12 for 24 with six runs and four RBIs. She went 2 for 4 in Friday’s win, scoring two runs, and also went 2 for 4 in Saturday’s nightcap. With hits in each of the four games, Egbert ran her current hit streak to six games. Egbert enters the week second in the GNAC and 16th in Division II with a .480 batting average.

• Freshman Katie Kastning continued her hot streak as well as she batted .438 in the six games, going 7 for 16 with three RBIs and thee doubles. She had a three-run double in the fourth inning of game two on Friday, which accounted for the winning run, and had single hits in the other three games of the series. Kastning enters the week with a .371 batting average, eighth in the GNAC.

• Junior Kayla Smith was the winning pitcher for the Wildcats in Friday’s second game. She allowed four runs on six hits and one walk, striking out one. The win was her first since Mar. 25. Smith enters the week with a 7-3 record and is fifth in the GNAC with a 3.04 earned run average.

• Freshman Lexie Strasser dropped two decisions, but earned the save in Friday’s win as she threw a perfect seventh inning. Strasser continues to rank second in the GNAC with her 2.42 earned run average and leads the league with 15 wins and 130 innings pitched.

• Central Washington leads the GNAC with a 2.94 earned run average and is third in the league with a .303 batting average. The Wildcats lead the GNAC with 66 stolen bases and ninth in Division II with 0.44 triples per game.

• The Wildcats play six of their final eight games at home. Four of those are this weekend, hosting Simon Fraser on Saturday and Western Washington on Sunday.

CONCORDIA
• Concordia split a four-game series against Willamette Valley rival Western Oregon. The Cavaliers won the second game on both Friday and Sunday, 7-5 and 6-4.

• Senior Kelsie Merritt paced Concordia offensively as she hit .455 in the series, going 5 for 11 with two runs. She went 2 for 3 in Friday’s opener and then went 2 for 4 in Sunday’s opening game. Merritt is now batting .300 for the Cavaliers in 32 games.

• Sophomore Jordan Smith-Imes and junior Courtney Somers each went 5 for 13 in the series. Smith-Imes contributed three RBIs, two of which came in Friday’s win where she went 2 for 3 with a two-RBI single. Somers had had three RBIs and a double. She went 2 for 4 with two of those RBIs in Sunday’s second-game win. Smith-Imes enters the week batting .328 while Somers is batting .326.

• Senior Tori Muir picked up the win in relief on Friday, allowing one run on three hits with two strikeouts in two innings. Junior Samantha Byron won in relief of Muir on Sunday, allowing three runs on seven hits in six innings. Bryon is currently seventh in the GNAC with a 3.31 earned run average. Muir has a 2.00 earned run average in five appearances.

• Concordia enters the week with a .281 batting average and a 4.06 earned run average.

• The Cavaliers host Northwest Nazarene for a four-game series on Friday and Saturday.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Montana State Billings moved into third place in the GNAC standings by taking three of four at home from Saint Martin’s. The Yellowjackets split Saturday’s games, losing the opener 4-2 before winning the nightcap 13-5 in five innings. Montana State Billings took both games on Sunday, 1-0 and 3-2.

• Senior Heather Tracy continues to perform. She led MSUB offensively with a .545 average in the four games, going 6 for 11 with four runs and two doubles. She went 4 for 4 with a double and three runs in Saturday’s second game to cap the effort. Tracy leads the GNAC and is fifth in Division II with her .516 batting average. She leads the GNAC 66 hits, 38 runs and 94 total bases; and is also second in the league with 18 stolen bases.

• Senior Cameron Cassinelli broke the MSUB record with her 36th and 37th career home runs on Sunday. The record-breaking 36th was a solo shot in the opener, which was the winner in the 1-0 contest. Cassinelli enters the week with a .344 batting average and is tied for second in the GNAC this season with seven home runs.

• Senior Megan Dettling won two of the three games in the circle for the Yellowjackets. She earned the complete-game win in Saturday’s second game, allowing five runs, four earned, on seven hits and four walks with two strikeouts. She came back in Sunday’s second game to allow two runs on six hits with seven strikeouts to improve to 6-4 on the season. Dettling enters the week with a 4.49 earned run average.

• Montana State Billings enters the week second in the GNAC with a .309 batting average and with a 4.52 earned run average. They lead the GNAC with 37 home runs and rank 20th in Division II with 1.03 home runs per game.

• The Yellowjackets will play Western Washington in a weather make-up game on Friday in Portland before facing Western Oregon for four games on Saturday and Sunday.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene moved into a tie for first place with Central Washington in the GNAC standings. The Nighthawks split Friday’s games with the Wildcats, winning 3-2 before losing the nightcap 6-4. The Nighthawks won both games on Saturday by 7-3 scores.

• For its weekend effort, Northwest Nazarene was named the Red Lion/GNAC Team of the Week.

• Junior Anna Williams was named the GNAC Softball Player of the Week after she hit .545 in the four games, going 6 for 11 with five runs, six RBIs, two doubles, a triple and two home runs. In Friday’s opener, Williams went 2 for 3 and brought home the tying run on an RBI single to right in the 3-2 win. In Saturday’s opener, Williams went 2 for 3 again with a two-RBI double in the fourth and added a solo home run in the second game. Williams enters the week with a .364 batting average.

• Freshman Jordan Adams was named the GNAC Softball Pitcher of the Week for the second straight week. She compiled a 0.93 earned run average in 15 innings, allowing five runs, two earned, on 11 hits and three walks while striking out 10. Adams allowed two unearned runs in Friday’s opener with CWU on four hits and struck out seven for the 3-2 victory. She opened Saturday’s twinbill by allowing three runs, two earned, on five hits with a walk and three strikeouts to win 7-3. Adams leads the GNAC with a 1.54 earned run average and 106 strikeouts.

• Northwest Nazarene leads the GNAC with a .321 batting average and 370 hits while the pitching staff owns a 3.75 earned run average.

• The Nighthawks close the regular season with eight games on the road. They will be in Portland for a four-game series at Concordia on Friday and Saturday.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Saint Martin’s dropped three of four games at Montana State Billings to slip into a tie for fourth in the GNAC standings. The Saints won Saturday’s opener, 4-2, and dropped the nightcap 13-5 in five innings before losing both Sunday games by 1-0 and 3-2 scores. Saint Martin’s opened the week with two wins last Monday at Western Washington.

• Junior Sabrina Hicks led the Saints offensively with a .412 average in the six games, going 7 for 17 with two runs and two RBIs. She went 2 for 3 in Saturday’s opener with an RBI triple in the second and then closed the series by going 2 for 3 in Sunday’s second game, which included a solo home run. Hicks has started in 35 games for the Saints and enters the week with a .274 batting average.

• Senior Lindsey Miller also had seven hits in the six games as she finished with a .368 average. Miller also had three runs, two RBIs and three doubles. She went 2 for 4 in Saturday’s opener and had an RBI double in the nightcap. Miller had three hits in the doubleheader last Monday at WWU. She enters the week ninth in the GNAC with a .369 batting average.

• Senior Kim Nelson picked up two wins last week and finished with a 2.93 earned run average in three appearances. She won Monday’s opener at Western Washington as she allowed one run on four hits and struck out three in five innings. Nelson went 6.1 innings in the opener at MSUB for the win, allowing two runs on six hits. Nelson enters the week with seven wins and a 3.66 earned run average and is 11th in Division II with 0.78 walks per seven innings.

• Saint Martin’s enters the week with a .281 batting average and is second in the GNAC with a 3.38 earned run average. Saints’ pitchers make batters put the ball in play with a league-low 80 strikeouts.

• The Saints are home for their next six games. They will host Western Washington for two on Saturday and Simon Fraser for two on Sunday.

SIMON FRASER
• Simon Fraser last played a week ago Monday, taking a pair of losses to Central Washington. The Clan will be on the road for their remaining eight regular-season games. They play a pair at Central Washington on Saturday and at Saint Martin’s on Sunday.

• Senior Taylor Lundrigan leads the Clan with a .363 batting average and is second in the GNAC with her 11 doubles. Lundrigan went 4 for 6 with an RBI, a run and a double in last Monday’s doubleheader with CWU.

• Freshman Kate Fergusson enters the week as SFU’s second-leading hitter with a .330 batting average. She went 3 for 5 with two runs in Monday’s nightcap.

• Senior Alia Stachoski leads Simon Fraser in the circle with a 9-9 record and a 3.79 earned run average. Her five saves lead the GNAC and are seventh in Division II.

• Simon Fraser enters the week with a .265 batting average and 4.32 earned run average. The team’s .978 fielding percentage is among the best in Division II.

WESTERN OREGON
• Western Oregon split its four-game series with Concordia over the weekend. The Wolves won Friday’s opener 3-0 and dropped the nightcap 7-5. On Sunday, WOU again won the opener, 8-4, and dropped the second game 6-3.

• Junior Cheyanne Rimer led Western Oregon at the plate, hitting .538 in the four games as she went 7 for 13 with two runs, six RBIs, a double and a home run. She went 2 for 3 with a two-run homer in Friday’s opener and went 3 for 4 in the nightcap with a triple in the third inning. In Sunday’s opener, Rimer went 2 for 3, which included a two-run single in the second and an RBI double in the fourth. Rimer enters the week with a .287 batting average.

• Freshman Tyler Creach also hit .538 and went 7 for 13 in the four-game set to go along with seven runs, an RBI and two doubles. Creach went 2 for 4 with two runs in Friday’s second game and then 3 for 4 in Sunday’s opener, which included four runs scored in the 8-4 win. Creach enters the week third in the GNAC with a .423 batting average. She is second in the league with 36 runs and tied for 26th in Division II with 57 hits.

• Senior Haley Fabian earned both pitching wins for the Wolves and improved to 7-7 on the season. In Friday’s 3-0 win, Fabian allowed just three hits and a walk while striking out five in the complete-game effort. She went the distance again in Sunday’s opener as she allowed four runs on 10 hits with six walks and strikeouts. Fabian enters the week with a .425 earned run average.

• Western Oregon enters the week with a .300 batting average and a 4.06 earned run average.

• Western Oregon will finish the regular season at home. The Wolves will host Montana State Billings for a four-game set on Saturday and Sunday.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington played last on Apr. 9 when the Vikings dropped two contests to Saint Martin’s, 2-1 and 3-2. The Vikings will play Montana State Billings for a snow make-up game on Friday in Portland before playing doubleheaders at Saint Martin’s on Saturday and at Central Washington on Sunday.

• Junior Shearyna Labasan leads Western Washington and is fourth in the GNAC with a .405 batting average. She went 3 for 6 in the doubleheader against Saint Martin’s with a run and an RBI. Labasan is also fourth in the league with a .492 on-base percentage. In addition, Labasan leads the WWU pitching staff with a 3.36 earned run average, ranking her eighth in the GNAC. She is third in the league with 112.2 innings pitched and fifth with 82 strikeouts.

• Sophomore Anna Kasner is ninth in the GNAC with her 3.41 earned run average and leads the Vikings with six victories. She ranks second in the GNAC with 102 strikeouts, is 18th in Division II with a 5.37 strikeout-to-walk ratio and 22nd with 8.1 strikeouts per seven innings.

• As a team, Western Washington enters the week with a .251 batting average and third in the GNAC with a 3.75 earned run average. The Vikings are 18th in Division II with a 3.09 strikeout-to-walk ratio and 23rd with just eight hit batters on the season.