Wednesday, February 27, 2019

CAVALIER PERFORMANCES: Yes, it was cold. Yes, it rained and it snowed and the Gorge winds blew from the east, But those conditions did not keep four GNAC teams from getting games in at the Cavalier Classic at Concordia’s Porter Park last weekend.

As it worked out, all four teams left the tournament with two wins. The host Cavaliers collected a 9-1 win over Eastern Oregon on Friday and an 8-0 win over Northwest (Wash.) on Saturday, with both games going five innings. Central Washington scored a 12-3, five-inning win over Simpson (Calif.) on Friday and a 10-2, five-inning win over Eastern Oregon on Saturday.

Western Washington beat the Mountaineers twice, scoring a 4-3, nine-inning victory on Friday and a 6-2 win on Saturday. Saint Martin’s took a 6-5 win over Simpson on Saturday and closed the tournament with a 12-3, five-inning win over Northwest on Sunday.

Six players from those teams were named to the All-Tournament Team: Central Washington’s Rachael Johnson, Concordia’s Mackenzie Smith and Hannah Self; Saint Martin’s Sabrina Hicks and Western Washington’s Emily Benson and Jackie Lucido.

Northwest Nazarene, meanwhile, opened its home schedule with a four-game sweep of a pair of NAIA programs. The Nighthawks beat Menlo on Friday by 7-3 and 11-8 scores and beat Williams on Saturday 9-1 and 10-2, both in five innings.

Conference play is scheduled to open this weekend with Northwest Nazarene playing four games at Simon Fraser and Montana State Billings playing four games at Western Washington. Concordia will host Carroll (Mont.) for a doubleheader on Sunday while Western Oregon will play seven games at the PFX Athletics Tournament in Florida. The games will be the first for the Wolves in a month.

THIS WEEK'S GNAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
PLAYER
Madison Strickler, Northwest Nazarene
OF • 5-9 • Junior • Eagle, Idaho

Strickler led the Nighthawks to a sweep of their first four home games of the season by hitting .667, going 8 for 12 with five runs, five RBI and a pair of home runs. Stricker opened the weekend by going 2 for 3 with three RBI, including a two-run homer, in Friday’s 7-3 opening win over Menlo. She then went 3 for 4 in the nightcap, punctuated by a three-run homer in the sixth that broke an 8-8 tie en route to the 11-8 win. Strickler finished by going 2 for 3 and 1 for 2 in Saturday’s games against Willamette, 9-1 and 10-2 victories.

Also Nominated: Alycia Bannan (Central Washington), Hannah Self (Concordia), Sabrina Hicks (Saint Martin’s), Emily Benson (Western Washington).

PITCHER
Mckenzie Smith, Concordia
UT • 6-2 •  Senior • Victoria, B.C.

Smith improved to 2-3 on the season and was named to the Cavalier Classic All-Tournament Team after she picked up the win in Concordia’s 8-0, five-inning victory on Saturday over Northwest (Wash.). She allowed just three hits and four walks while striking out four.

Also Nominated: Lexie Strasser (Central Washington), Jordan Adams (Northwest Nazarene), Brandi Schoessler (Saint Martin’s), Makinlee Sellevold (Western Washington).

AROUND THE GNAC
CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington won two of three games at the Cavalier Classic, scoring a 12-3, five-inning win over Simpson (Calif.) on Friday and a 10-2, five-inning win over Eastern Oregon on Saturday before taking a 4-2 loss to Corban on Sunday.

• Sophomore Katie Kastning and junior Savannah Egbert each hit .444 in the three games to lead the Wildcats offensively. Kastning went 4 for 9 with a double and two RBI, which included a 2 for 2 performance with an RBI single against Simpson. Egbert went 4 for 9 with four runs scored, topped by a 2 for 3 performance against Eastern Oregon. Egbert leads the Wildcats with a .452 batting average, fourth in the GNAC.

• Freshman pitcher Samantha Stanfield earned her third win of the season against Eastern Oregon, allowing two runs, one earned, on five hits with three walks and four strikeouts. Sophomore Lexie Strasser went 1-1 and earned the win against Simpson. In that game, Strasser allowed three unearned runs on five hits and struck out six. Strasser is third in the GNAC with a 2.08 earned run average and is 4-3 on the season.

• Central Washington enters the week with a .282 batting average and a 3.96 earned run average.

• The Wildcats do not play this week. They will open the GNAC schedule on Mar. 8 and 9 with a four-game series at Northwest Nazarene.

CONCORDIA
• Concordia won both of its games at its own Cavalier Classic, taking a 9-1, five-inning win over Eastern Oregon on Friday and an 8-0, five-inning win over Northwest (Wash.) on Saturday.

• Senior Mckenzie Smith was named the GNAC Softball Pitcher of the Week after she earned her second win of the season in the victory over Northwest. She allowed two hits and four walks while striking out four. Smith enters the week with a 6.03 earned run average.

• Junior pitcher Sally Boyles earned the win in Friday’s game against Eastern Oregon, allowing one run on three hits with a walk and two strikeouts. It was the second win of the season for Boyles, who leads the Cavaliers with a 3.84 earned run average. She is 22nd in Division II with 0.45 walks allowed per seven innings.

• Junior Hannah Self and Ali Steen each batted .400 in the two games to lead the Cavaliers at the plate. Self went 1 for 2 against Eastern Oregon, which included a solo home run, and went 1 for 3 with another solo homer against Northwest. Steen’s week was topped by a 2 for 3 performance against Northwest, which included an RBI triple. Steen is batting 3.85 in 10 games for the Cavaliers while Self is batting .333 in nine games. Steen is tied for 18th in Division II with four home runs and 24th with 0.40 home runs per game.

• Concordia is third in the GNAC with a .292 batting average and owns a 5.34 earned run average. The Cavaliers enter the week ranked 22nd in Division II with 0.54 double plays turned per game.

• Concordia will close out the first month of the season with a home doubleheader against Carroll (Mont.) on Sunday.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Montana State Billings has not played since taking a doubleheader loss at MSU Denver on Feb. 15 and 4-3, eight-inning loss to Colorado Mines on Feb. 17. The Yellowjackets will open GNAC play with a four-game series at Western Washington on Saturday and Sunday.

• Sophomore Britannee Fisher led the Yellowjackets offensively with a .400 batting average in the Colorado games, going 4 for 10 with two runs two RBI and two doubles. Her week was topped by her 2 for 3 in the second game against MSU Denver, which included an RBI double in the first inning. Fisher enters the week batting .342 and leads the team with 13 runs and a .605 slugging percentage.

• Freshman Cailee Morgan hit .300 in the three games, going 3 for 10. Her best game was against Colorado Mines where Morgan went 2 for 3 with an RBI single in the sixth. Morgan enters the week with a .333 batting average. She is third in Division II with 0.62 hit by pitch per game.

• Junior Maddy Lincoln took two of the three decisions in the circle in Colorado, allowing 10 runs, six earned, on 19 hits and striking out 10 in 13.2 innings of work. She allowed six runs on 11 hits and struck out five in the opener with MSU Denver and then allowed four unearned runs on eight hits and struck out five against Colorado Mines. Lincoln is eighth in the GNAC with a 3.32 earned run average and is third in the GNAC with 38 strikeouts.

• Montana State Billings enters the week with a .283 batting average and is second in the GNAC with a 3.72 earned run average.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene swept a pair of doubleheaders at home over NAIA foes last weekend, collecting 7-3 and 11-8 wins over Menlo on Friday and 9-1 and 10-2 wins over Willamette on Saturday, both in five innings.

• Junior Madison Strickler was named the GNAC Softball Player of the Week after she batted .667 in the four games, going 8 for 12 with five runs, five RBI and two home runs. Stricker opened the weekend by going 2 for 3 with three RBI, including a two-run homer, in the opener against Menlo. She then went 3 for 4 in the nightcap, punctuated by a three-run homer in the sixth that broke an 8-8 tie en route to the 11-8 win. Strickler finished by going 2 for 3 and 1 for 2 in Saturday’s games against Willamette. Strickler enters the week with a .591 average in nine games.

• Sophomore Jordan Adams continues to roll, picking up two more wins as she allowed five runs, four earned, on 13 hits with 15 strikeouts in 11 innings. Adams earned the win in the opener in Friday’s opener with Menlo, allowing three runs, two earned, on 10 hits with a walk and seven strikeouts. In Saturday’s second game with Willamette, Adams allowed two runs on three hits with a walk and eight strikeouts in four innings. Adams leads the GNAC with a 5-1 record and 1.40 earned run average and is tied for first in the GNAC with 43 strikeouts.

• Senior Kylie Orr batted .636 in three games during the series, going 7 for 11 with three runs, four RBI, two doubles and two home runs. Senior Anna Williams batted .500 in four games, going 8 for 16 with five runs, five RBI and two home runs. Orr is third in the GNAC with a .474 average. Williams is sixth in the GNAC with a .431 average. She leads the GNAC and is 29th in Division II with six doubles.

• The Nighthawks enter the week second in the GNAC with a .323 batting average and own a 4.33 earned run average. The Nighthawks are 14th in Division II with 2.21 doubles per game and 29th with a .516 slugging percentage.

• Northwest Nazarene will open GNAC play this weekend with a four-game series at Simon Fraser on Friday and Saturday.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Saint Martin’s split its four games at the Cavalier Classic, picking up a 6-5 win over Simpson (Calif.) on Saturday and a 12-3, five-inning win over Northwest (Wash.) on Sunday. The Saints dropped two games to Corban, 14-1 on Friday and 5-4 on Sunday.

• Sophomore Devyn Connolly led the Saints offensively with a .400 batting average, going 4 for 10 with a double. She went 2 for 2 in Friday’s opener with Corban and 2 for 3 in Friday’s win over Simpson. Connolly enters the week with a .321 batting average and five RBI in 12 games.

• Senior Sabrina Hicks batted .385 in the two games, going 5 for 13 with five runs, six RBI and two home runs. Hicks went 2 for 4 and belted a three-run home in the win over Simpson and then went 2 for 3 with a two-run homer in Sunday’s loss to Corban. Hicks leads the Saints and is 10th in the GNAC with a .405 batting average.

• Junior Brandi Schoessler collected the win in relief over Simpson on Friday, allowing just two walks and striking out three in 3.1 innings of work. She enters the week with a 4-1 record and fourth in the GNAC with a 2.60 earned run average. Senior Lauren Maley earned the win in relief against Northwest, allowing one run on two hits with a strikeout in 1.2 innings after junior Jessica O’Toole allowed two runs, one earned, on three hits in 3.1 innings.

• Saint Martin’s enters the week with a .291 batting average and 5.37 earned run average.

• Saint Martin’s do not play again until Sat., Mar. 8 and Sun., Mar. 9, when they host Montana State Billings to open their GNAC schedule.

SIMON FRASER
• The Clan did not compete last weekend after opening their 2019 campaign by going 5-1 at the Cactus Classic in Tucson, Arizona. Simon Fraser collected wins over UT-Permian Basin, Black Hills State, Biola, Colorado Mesa and Fort Lewis and will host Northwest Nazarene on Friday and Saturday in the GNAC opening series for both teams.

• Junior Amanda Janes hit .318 in the tournament, going 7 for 22 with four runs, 10 RBI, two doubles, a triple and two home runs. Janes opened the season with a solo home run against UT-Permian Basin. She then went 2 for 4 with a run and a two-RBI double against Biola and followed by going 3 for 5 with an RBI triple and a two-run homer against Colorado Mesa. Janes is 17th in Division II with 1.67 runs batted in per game.

• Sophomore Jessica Fasolino went 4-0 in the tournament, allowing 10 runs, nine earned, on 18 hits in 19 innings. Fasolino opened her SFU career with six innings in the complete-game win over UT-Permian Basin, allowing two hits and striking out one. She also picked up wins in relief over Biola and Fort Lewis and earned the win in a start against Colorado Mesa.

• Sophomore Alex Ogg led the Clan offensively with a .556 average in the tournament, going 10 for 18 with five runs and six RBI. Her tournament was topped by her 5 for 5 performance against Colorado Mesa, which included a two-RBI single and a double.

• The Clan leads the GNAC with a .330 batting average and is third with a 3.74 earned run average. They rank second in Division II with 1.17 double plays turned per game, 12th with 0.67 triples per game and 29th with two shutouts.

WESTERN OREGON
• Thanks to all manners of weather cancellations, Western Oregon has not played since Feb. 3. The Wolves hope to end that gameless streak with games this weekend at the PFX Athletics Tournament in Orlando. Western Oregon will play Kentucky Wesleyan and Missouri-St. Louis on Friday, Findlay and Minnesota-Mankato on Saturday, Tiffin and Malone on Sunday and Saint Rose on Monday.

• The Wolves opened the season by going 3-0 at the Desert Stinger on Feb. 1-3, scoring wins over Colorado Christian, Cal State Monterey Bay and Chico State.

• Freshman Maddie Mayer led the way in the circle, going 2-0 to be named to the Desert Stinger All-Tournament Team. She allowed five runs, three earned, on eight hits in 13 innings. Mayer threw all nine innings against Cal State Monterey Bay, allowing five runs, three earned, on eight hits with five strikeouts. Mayer then threw four innings of hitless relief with four strikeouts on Sunday to earn the win over Chico State. Mayer is second in the GNAC with a 1.62 earned run average.

• Sophomore Tyler Creach was also named to the All-Tournament Team after she hit .500 in the tournament, going 7 for 14 with two runs and two RBI. She went 4 for 4 in the opener with Colorado Christian and scored a run. Creach then went 2 for 5 with two RBI on a triple in the seventh against Cal State Monterey Bay and had one hit against Chico State.

• Western Oregon enters the week with a .287 batting average and leads the GNAC with a 2.43 earned run average.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington went 2-1 at the Cavalier Classic in Portland. The Vikings scored a 4-3, 9-inning win over Eastern Oregon on Friday and collected a 6-2 win over the Mountaineers on Sunday. On Saturday, WWU took a 6-4 loss to Simpson (Calif.).

• Senior Emily Benson led the WWU offense for the second straight week with a .455 batting average in the three games, going 5 for 11 with three runs, five RBI and a home run. Benson had just one hit on Friday against Eastern Oregon, a two-run homer in the fourth. She then went 2 for 4 with a run scored against Simpson and closed by going 2 for 3 against EOU on Sunday with a two-run single in the first. Benson leads the Vikings and is eighth in the GNAC with a .419 average.

• Senior Cylie Richards batted .375 in the three games, going 3 for 8 with two RBI and a pair of doubles Junior Jackie Lucido batted .375 in the three games, going 4 for 12 with four runs and a double.

• Sophomore Kira Doan earned the win in relief in Friday’s win over EOU, allowing one run on one hit with a strikeout in 1.2 innings. She entered the circle in the eighth for starter Seli Aholelei, who allowed two runs on eight hits and struck out four in 7.1 innings. Senior Makinlee Sellevold earned the win in Sunday’s victory, allowing two runs on three hits with seven strikeouts. Sellevold is sixth in the GNAC with a 3.04 earned run average.

• Western Washington enters the week with a .275 batting average and is fourth in the GNAC with a 3.75 earned run average.

• The Vikings will open conference play this weekend, hosting Montana State Billings in a four-game series on Saturday and Sunday.