Tuesday, April 6, 2021

TRIPLE THREAT: A triple is the hardest hit to get in the sport of softball. For Central Washington, however, the three-baggers seem to be easy to come by.

The Wildcats have hit 18 triples so far this season, which leads all Division II teams. They have three more triples than the second-place team, Adams State. The Wildcats are averaging one triple per game, which also leads Division II. Of those 18 triples, eight came in last week’s series against Saint Martin’s. The triples accounted for eight of the Wildcats’ 12 extra-base hits and 18 of the 47 CWU extra-base hits on the year.

Sophomore Harlee Carpenter leads the way for Central Washington and Division II with six triples, three of which came in the Saint Martin’s series. Senior Theresa Moyle has five triples on the season, second in Division II.

Both players are on GNAC season-record pace. The conference record is nine, set by Andrea Williams of Humboldt State in 2004

LET’S PLAY THREE: The standard in college softball is to play a doubleheader but sometimes the weather in the Northwest requires teams to get creative to get all of its games in.

Such was the case for Western Washington and Montana State Billings in Bellingham, Washington on Friday as the teams played a tripleheader to try and beat inclement weather forecast for Saturday. It is the first tripleheader in the GNAC since Western Washington and Montana State Billings engaged in a three-game set on March 30, 2018.

Western Washington took wins in the first two games by identical 3-1 scores. Montana State Billings finished out the marathon day with its only win of the series, 6-4.

HUMBOLDT STATE CONTINUES GNAC TOUR: The only member of the California Collegiate Athletic Association to play softball this season, Humboldt State continues its long tour of GNAC Country with eight games this week. The Lumberjacks will play three games at Saint Martin’s on Tuesday and Wednesday before engaging Central Washington for five games on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The epic road swing began with games on March 25 and will conclude with the Central Washington series. The Lumberjacks played a four-game series at Montana State Billings on March 27 and 28, taking wins in three games.

THIS WEEK'S GNAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
PLAYER
Chandler Bishop, Western Oregon
P/IF • 6-0 • Senior • Arlington, Wash.

Bishop led Western Oregon in taking three of four games from Northwest Nazarene. She batted .636, going 7 for 11 with four runs, nine RBI, a double and three home runs. Bishop opened the series with a game-tying two-run homer in Friday’s 4-3 first-game win before going 3 for 5 in the nightcap with the game-winning grand slam in the 11th inning of the 13-9 win. She opened Saturday by going 2 for 3 with an RBI double in the opener and ended with a first-inning two-run homer in the nightcap.

Also Nominated: Harlee Carpenter (Central Washington), Brittanee Fisher (Montana State Billings), Emma Mulligan (Northwest Nazarene), Julia Lucas (Saint Martin’s), Tatum Dow (Western Washington).

PITCHER
Anna Kasner, Western Washington
P • 5-8 • Senior • Milton, Wash.

Kasner went 1-0 and had a save in three appearances as the Vikings took three of four games from Montana State Billings. Kasner earned the save in Friday’s opener, allowing one walk and striking out six in three innings for the 3-1 victory. She started the nightcap and took a no-decision, allowing one run on four hits with a walk and three strikeouts in five innings. Kasner earned the complete-game win in Saturday’s finale, allowing four hits and a walk while striking out seven. For the week, Kasner allowed one run on eight hits and stuck out 16 in 15 innings.

Also Nominated: Samantha Stanfield (Central Washington), Sidney Booth (Northwest Nazarene), Abby Runyon (Saint Martin’s), Reilly Tidwell (Western Oregon).

AROUND THE GNAC
CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington split its four-game GNAC series with Saint Martin’s last week. The Wildcats won Friday’s opener, 9-8, before dropping the nightcap, 8-6. The Saints won Saturday’s opener, 6-5, before the Wildcats rebounded to win the finale, 8-0 in five innings.

• Senior Maddy Zerr led the Wildcats with a .462 batting average, going 6 for 13 with two runs, four RBI, a double, a triple and a home run. Zerr had a hit in each of Friday’s games, including an RBI single in the opener. She then went 3 for 4 with a double and a two-run homer in the Saturday opener before adding a hit in the nightcap. Zerr enters the week with a .367 average.

• Sophomore Harlee Carpenter and senior Sydney Brown each went 4 for 12 in the series. Brown’s series was highlighted with a 3 for 4 performance in Friday’s opener and three RBI in the Saturday nightcap. Carpenter’s week was highlighted by a two-run triple in Friday’s second game as she finished with three triples in the series. Carpenter is fifth in the GNAC with a .415 batting average and leads Division II with six triples.

• Junior Samantha Stanfield went 1-1 in the series. She was the winner in the Saturday five-inning finale, allowing one hit and two walks. Senior Rhaney Harris won Friday’s opener as she allowed eight runs, four earned, on seven hits and two walks with three strikeouts. Stanfield is fifth in the GNAC with a 2.72 earned run average while Harris is seventh with a 2.89 earned run average.

• Central Washington enters the week with a .332 batting average and 5.02 earned run average. The Wildcats lead Division II with 18 triples and are 21st with 7.11 runs scored per game.
• The Wildcats will host Humboldt State for doubleheaders on Friday and Saturday and a single game on Sunday.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Montana State Billings dropped three of four games to Western Washington in Bellingham. The Yellowjackets lost both games on Friday by 3-1 scores. They won Saturday’s opener, 6-4, before dropping the finale, 2-0.

• Sophomore Skyler Jenkins led the Yellowjackets offensively with a .364 batting average, going 4 for 11 with two RBI and a double. She had a hit in each of Friday’s games and went 2 for 3 with the game-winning two-RBI double in Saturday’s opener. Jenkins enters the week with a .167 batting average.

• Junior Brittanee Fisher was among five MSUB players with three hits in the series, including two home runs. Both homers came in Saturday’s victory, a solo shot in the second and a two-run shot that tied the game in the seventh. Fisher enters the week with a .345 batting average and is tied for second in the GNAC with seven home runs.

• Freshman Julia Qualteri was the winning pitcher in Saturday’s opener in her lone appearance of the series. She allowed four runs, three earned, on 10 hits with a strikeout. Qualteri enters the week with a 6.82 earned run average. Sophomore Alyssa Etheridge leads the team with a 4.88 ERA.

• The Yellowjackets enter the week with a .279 batting average and a 6.35 earned run average. The team ranks 13th in Division II with 30 home runs and 14th with 1.25 home runs per game.

• Montana State Billings will play its final 12 home games of the regular season at home. The homestand begins this weekend as the Yellowjackets host Western Oregon on Saturday and Sunday.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene took its first road trip of the season and dropped three of four games at Western Oregon. The Nighthawks dropped both of Friday’s games, 4-3 and 13-9 (11 innings) as well as the Saturday opener, 5-1, before closing the series with an 8-2 victory.

• Sophomore Emma Mulligan led the Nighthawks with a .571 batting average in the four games, going 8 for 14 with two runs, four RBI and two doubles. Mulligan went 2 for 4 with a double and a two-RBI single in Friday’s second game and then went 4 for 4 in Saturday’s opener with a double and an RBI single. She enters the week with a .292 batting average and is tied for first in the GNAC with seven doubles.

• Senior Ivy Hommel batted .333 in the series, going 6 for 18 with three runs, two RBI and four stolen bases. She went 2 for 4 in Friday’s opener, scoring two runs and swiping three bases, and then 2 for 6 in Friday’s extra-inning game with another stolen base. Hommel closed the series by going 2 for 4 with an RBI single and RBI double in Saturday’s finale. Hommel is sixth in the GNAC with a .412 batting average and is fourth in Division II with 21 stolen bases.

• Sophomore Sidney Booth went 1-1 in her two appearances in the circle. She was the winner in Saturday’s finale, improving to 8-2 on the season by allowing two runs on two hits with a walk and two strikeouts. Booth is third in the GNAC with her 1.44 earned run average and is second with her .448 batting average. She ranks 18th in Division II with 94 strikeouts.

• The Nighthawks enter the week leading the GNAC and ranking fifth in Division II with a .368 batting average. The Nighthawks own a 2.97 earned run average and rank ninth in Division II with a .568 slugging percentage.

• The Nighthawks received 21 points in last week’s NFCA Division II Coaches Poll, ranking second among teams receiving votes.

• Northwest Nazarene is in the Bay Area for six games this week, playing a doubleheader at Academy of Art on Wednesday before facing Dominican (Calif.) and Concordia Irvine for games on Friday and Saturday.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Saint Martin’s split its weekend series with Central Washington After dropping the Friday opener, 9-8, the Saints rebounded for the 8-6 victory. They opened Saturday with a 6-5 win before dropping the nightcap, 8-0 in five innings.

• Freshman Olivia Schmidt had a .444 average in the series to lead SMU, going 4 for 9 with three RBI. She went 1 for 2 with a sacrifice fly in Friday’s nightcap before going 3 for 3 with an RBI single in the first that opened scoring. Schmidt enters the week with a .333 batting average in 16 games.

• Junior Julia Lucas went 4 for 12 in the series and had five RBI, two doubles and a home run. She went 2 for 3 in Friday’s opener with a double and a solo home run and opened scoring in the nightcap with a two-RBI single. In Saturday’s opener, Lucas had a two-RBI double. Lucas enters the week with a .286 batting average.

• Freshman Abby Runyon made two starts once again for the Saints. She threw five innings in Friday’s opener, allowing seven runs, six earned, on 10 hits with a walk and three strikeouts. Runyon went the distance for the win in Saturday’s opener, allowing five runs, one earned, on eight hits with two walks to improve to 5-4 on the year. Runyon enters the week with a 3.46 earned run average.

• Saint Martin’s is third in the GNAC with a 4.00 earned run average and owns a .242 batting average. The Saints rank third in Division II with 12 double plays turned.

• The Saints will host Humboldt State for three games on Tuesday and Wednesday before hosting Western Washington for a four-game GNAC series on Saturday and Sunday.

SIMON FRASER
• Due to the continued closure of the U.S./Canadian border due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Simon Fraser is unable to play in the GNAC season.

WESTERN OREGON
• Western Oregon took three of four games from Northwest Nazarene over the weekend. The Wolves took both Friday games by scores of 4-3 and 13-9 (11 innings). They won Saturday’s opener, 5-1, before falling in the finale, 8-2.

• Senior Chandler Bishop was named the GNAC Softball Player of the Week after she batted .636 in the series, going 7 for 11 with four runs, nine RBI, a double and three home runs. She hit the game-tying two-run homer in Friday’s opener and won the nightcap with a grand slam in the 11th. Bishop then went 2 for 3 with an RBI double and finished with a two-run homer in the finale. Bishop enters the week with a .348 batting average and a team-leading 11 RBI.

• Freshman Bella Valdes went .455 in the series, going 5 for 11 with a run, an RBI and a triple. Valdes went 2 for 2 with a run in Friday’s nightcap and then went 2 for 4 in the leadoff spot in Saturday’s opener with an RBI triple. Valdes enters the week with a .318 batting average in 12 games with six starts.

• Freshman Erica Soliz won the Friday opener in the circle, allowing three runs on nine hits with four strikeouts for her first collegiate win. Junior Reilly Tidwell improved to 2-2 with the win in Saturday’s opener, allowing one run on five hits with four walks and four strikeouts. Tidwell is fourth in the GNAC with a 1.82 earned run average.

• Western Oregon enters the week with a .230 batting average and a 4.26 earned run average. The Wolves are 28th in Division II with a .971 fielding percentage.

• The Wolves hit the road this week, traveling to Montana State Billings for a four-game series on Saturday and Sunday.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington took the GNAC lead by taking three of four games from Montana State Billings. The Vikings won both games on Friday by 3-1 scores. The Yellowjackets won the Saturday opener, 6-4, before WWU rebounded for the 2-0 win in the nightcap.

• Senior Anna Kasner was named the GNAC Softball Pitcher of the Week after she allowed one run on eight hits and struck out 16 batters in 15 innings in the series. Kasner earned the save in Friday’s opener, walking one and striking out six in three innings. She took the no-decision in the nightcap, allowing one run on four hits in five innings. Kasner then went the distance in Saturday’s finale, allowing four hits and one walk while striking out seven. Kasner has a 7-1 record and is second in the GNAC with a 1.31 earned run average. She is 28th in Division II with 4.06 hits allowed per seven innings.

• Junior Tatum Dow led the WWU offense with a .667 batting average, going 8 for 12 with two runs, an RBI and two doubles. Dow had hits in all four games. She went 2 for 3 in Friday’s nightcap and then went 3 for 4 with an RBI double in Saturday’s opener. Dow leads the GNAC and is 20th in Division II with a .508 batting average.

• Senior Mackenzie Palmer went 5 for 9 in the series for the Vikings with three runs and two doubles. She went 2 for 3 with a double in Friday’s opener and hit her second double in the nightcap. She finished the series by going 2 for 3 in the Saturday finale. Palmer enters the week with a .351 batting average.

• Western Washington enters the week ranked second in the GNAC and 17th in Division II with a .348 batting average and leads the GNAC with a 2.28 earned run average. The Vikings are 23rd in Division II with a .420 on-base percentage.

• Western Washington received 11 votes in last week’s NFCA Division II Coaches Poll, marking the fourth week WWU has received votes.

• Western Washington hits the road this weekend, traveling to Saint Martin’s for a four-game series on Saturday and Sunday.