Tuesday, March 16, 2021

PERFECTION IN BELLINGHAM: The standout pitching career of Western Washington senior Anna Kasner added another chapter as she threw the seventh perfect game in GNAC history on Friday.

Kasner accomplished the 18 up, 18 down feat in the series-opening 8-0, six-inning win over Saint Martin’s. She struck out six in the victory and threw 71 pitches, 49 for strikes. Kasner also helped her own cause at the plate, going 2 for 4 with a run scored and an RBI.

The perfect game was the first by a GNAC pitcher since Western Washington’s Sarah McEnroe accomplished the feat in a 10-0, five-inning win over Northwest Nazarene on Apr. 10, 2009. All seven GNAC perfect games have come in games shortened by the eight-run rule. The game was also the 27th no-hitter in GNAC softball history. It is the second no-hitter thrown by Kasner, making her the fourth pitcher in GNAC history to throw two career no-hitters.

The performance, coupled with her win in Saturday’s 3-2 game one victory, earned Kasner selection as the GNAC Softball Pitcher of the Week.

NEARLY PERFECT AT THE PLATE: Northwest Nazarene sophomore Abigail Gagnon put together a near-perfect performance at the plate to lead the Nighthawks to a four-game sweep of Montana State Billings to earn GNAC Softball Player of the Week honors.

Gagnon batted .778 in the four games, going 7 for 9 with six runs, six RBI, three doubles, a home run and three walks. She saved most of her offense for Saturday’s doubleheader, going 3 for 3 with a grand slam in the opener and 2 for 3 with a double in the nightcap.

CONFERENCE PLAY COMMENCES: After two weekends of non-conference games against conference opponents, the GNAC gears up to play its first counting conference contests since March 12, 2020.

Northwest Nazarene and Saint Martin’s will start the full conference weekend with a four-game series on Friday and Saturday. Western Oregon will host Western Washington for a four-game set on Saturday and Sunday while Montana State Billings plays host to Central Washington.

THIS WEEK'S GNAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
PLAYER
Abigail Gagnon, Northwest Nazarene
UT • 5-7 • Sophomore • Meridian, Idaho

Gagnon batted .778 in the Nighthawks’ sweep of Montana State Billings, going 7 for 9 with six runs, six RBI, three doubles, a home run and three walks. She had a hit in each of Friday’s games and then opened Saturday’s twinbill by going 3 for 3 with a grand slam in the first and an RBI single in the third. Gagnon ended the series by going 2 for 3 in the nightcap, scoring two runs.

Also Nominated: Allie Thiessen (Central Washington), Morgan Quimby (Montana State Billings), Britney Patrick (Saint Martin’s), Zoie Recolan (Western Oregon), Megan Marino (Western Washington).

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

Kasner threw the seventh perfect game in GNAC history in Friday’s 8-0, six-inning game one win over Saint Martin’s. Kasner struck out six and threw 71 pitches, 49 for strikes, while helping her cause by going 2 for 4 at the plate with a run scored and an RBI. On Saturday, Kasner improved to 5-1 on the season with a 3-2 win in Saturday’s opener, allowing two runs, one earned, on six hits with three walks and eight strikeouts.

Also Nominated: Isabel Womack (Central Washington), Sidney Booth (Northwest Nazarene), Abby Runyon (Saint Martin’s), Nicki Derrick (Western Oregon).

AROUND THE GNAC
CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• The Wildcats dropped three of four games of a weekend series at Western Oregon. After losing 2-1 in eight innings in Saturday’s first game, Central Washington rebounded for the 6-5 second-game win. The Wildcats dropped both games on Sunday, 5-4 and 2-1.

• Sophomore Allie Thiessen and senior Theresa Moyle each batted .467 in the series as both players went 7 for 15 with two runs, two RBI and a double. Moyle led the Wildcats in their Saturday win, going 3 for 4 with an RBI single. She also had two hits, including a double, in Sunday’s opener. Thiessen went 2 for 4 with an RBI double in Sunday’s opener and then went 3 for 4 in the nightcap. Moyle is sixth in the GNAC with a .438 batting average while Thiessen is seventh with a .429 average.

• Senior Rhaney Harris was the winning pitcher for CWU on Saturday, allowing just four hits and a walk while striking out four to improve to 2-1 on the season. Harris is second in the GNAC with a 0.58 earned run average.

• Junior Samantha Stanfield took the hard-luck loss in Saturday’s opener, allowing two runs on seven hits with two walks and six strikeouts. She currently ranks 11th in the GNAC with a 3.78 earned run average.

• Central Washington enters the week with a .312 batting average and 5.36 earned run average. The Wildcats are fourth in Division II with eight triples and 0.80 triples per game.

• The Wildcats open GNAC play on the road, going to Montana State Billings for a four-game series on Saturday and Sunday.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Montana State Billings took four losses in its series at Northwest Nazarene over the weekend. The Yellowjackets dropped 9-0 (5 innings) and 8-1 decisions on Friday followed by 16-8 (6 innings) and 8-1 games on Saturday.

• Sophomore Morgan Quimby led the Yellowjackets with a .400 batting average, going 4 for 10 with two runs, an RBI, three doubles and a home run. Quimby had a hit in each of Friday’s games before going 2 for 3 with a double and a solo home run in Saturday’s opener. Quimby enters the week with a .321 batting average.

• Junior Allie Hughes went 4 for 11 in the four games with two runs, a home run and two RBI. Hughes went 1 for 2 and hit a solo home run in Saturday’s opener and finished the series by going 2 for 4 in the nightcap. Hughes currently leads MSUB and is 14th in Division II with a .333 batting average.

• Freshman Jenna Kister had the best MSUB effort in the circle, allowing one unearned run on four hits with a walk and two strikeouts in four innings of relief in Saturday’s game. She took the loss in the second game on Friday, allowing seven runs, six earned, on nine hits with three walks and two strikeouts in 3.1 innings.

• The Yellowjackets enter the week with a .268 batting average and a 7.89 earned run average. The team ranks 24th with 12.03 hits allowed per seven innings and 27th with 1.08 home runs per game.

• Montana State Billings opens the schedule by hosting Central Washington for a four-game series on Saturday and Sunday.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• The Nighthawks rolled through a four-game non-conference series with Montana State Billings over the weekend. Northwest Nazarene took Friday’s games 9-0 (5 innings) and 8-1 before sweeping Saturday’s contests 16-8 (6 innings) and 8-1.

• Sophomore Abigail Gagnon was named the GNAC Softball Player of the Week after batting 7 for 9 in the series with six runs, six RBI, three doubles, a home run and three walks. After notching a hit in both Friday games, Gagnon went 3 for 3 in Saturday’s opener with a grand slam and an RBI single. She then went 2 for 3 in the nightcap with a pair of runs. Gagnon enters the week with a .526 batting average and is 25th in Division II with a .630 slugging percentage.

• Senior Ivy Hommel batted .636 in the series, going 7 for 11 with seven runs, four RBI, a triple and a home run. Hommel went 4 for 4 in Friday’s second game with a solo home run. She then went 2 for 3 in Saturday’s opener with a triple and three runs scored before going 1 for 1 with a sacrifice fly in the second game. Hommel enters the week with a .537 batting average, ranks 11th in Division II with 1.83 runs per game and 18th with 20 RBI.

• Sophomore Sidney Booth won two games and compiled a 0.58 earned run average in the series. She allowed just three hits and struck out seven in Friday’s opener and then allowed one run on five hits with a walk and 10 strikeouts in Saturday’s finale. Senior Tori Hensley allowed just one unearned run on eight hits in 9.1 innings. She was the winner in Friday’s second game, allowing the unearned run on five hits and one walk, striking out three.

• The Nighthawks enter the week leading the GNAC and sixth in Division II with a .414 batting average while owning a 3.50 earned run average. The Nighthawks are also 10th in Division II with a .624 slugging percentage.

• Northwest Nazarene continues a 20-game season-opening homestand by hosting Saint Martin’s in GNAC games on Friday and Saturday.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Saint Martin’s dropped three of four games at Western Washington last week. After losing 8-0 (6 innings) in Friday’s opener, the Saints rebounded for a 6-1 victory. Saint Martin’s dropped both of Saturday’s games, 3-2 and 6-1.

• Junior Devyn Connolly led SMU offensively by going 3 for 9 in three games. She had a hit in each game and had an RBI single in the second game on Friday. The three hits helped lift her to a.200 hitting average.

• Freshmen Megan Convery and Britney Patrick each went 3 for 12 in the series. Convery had a hit in each of the final three games and scored a run in Friday’s win. Patrick also had hits in the final three games and had a two-run single in Friday’s win. Patrick enters the week with a .350 batting average. Convery leads the Saints with a .440 average but falls below the minimum of 2.5 at-bats per game to qualify for the GNAC leaders.

• Freshman Abby Runyon was the winning pitcher for the Saints on Friday, allowing one run on five hits with four walks and six strikeouts. Runyon enters the week ranked seventh in the GNAC with a 2.49 earned run average and ranks third with 24 strikeouts.

• Saint Martin’s leads the GNAC with a 2.62 earned run average and has a .265 batting average. The Saints rank fifth in Division II with eight double plays turned and 11th with 0.67 double plays per game.

• The Saints head east this week, opening the conference season with a four-game series at Northwest Nazarene on Friday and Saturday.

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
• After the long wait to start the 2021 season, Western Oregon opened by taking three of four games from Central Washington. The Wolves split on Saturday, winning 2-1 in eight innings and losing 11-0 in six innings. Western then swept the Sunday twinbill by scores of 5-4 and 2-1.

• Sophomore Zoie Recolan led the Wolves with a .500 batting average, going 6 for 12 with two doubles and two RBI in the series. Recolan accounted for all of the scoring offense in Saturday’s win, going 2 for 4 with an RBI single in the sixth and the game-winning RBI single in the eighth. She also went 2 for 3 in Saturday’s nightcap and had a hit in both Sunday games. Recolan is second in the GNAC with her .500 average.

• Senior Aleya Turner went 5 for 13 in the series with two runs, a double and an RBI. Her weekend was topped by a 3 for 4 performance in Sunday’s opener with an RBI double in the second. Turner enters the week with a .385 batting average.

• Freshman Nicki Derrick opened her collegiate career with two wins. She was the Wolves’ winner on Saturday in relief, allowing one hit in two innings of work. She threw one inning of relief in Sunday’s opener, retiring the side in the seventh. Freshman Jada Young was the winner in Sunday’s nightcap, allowing one hit and three walks while striking out four in four innings.

• Western Oregon enters the week with a .257 batting average and a 3.25 earned run average.

• The Wolves will be home to open the conference season, hosting Western Washington on Saturday and Sunday.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington closed non-conference play by taking three of four games from Saint Martin’s. The Vikings won the Friday opener 8-0 (6 innings) before falling 6-1 in the nightcap. Western Washington won both Saturday games by finals of 3-2 and 6-1.

• Senior Anna Kasner was named the GNAC Softball Pitcher of the Week after she threw the seventh perfect game in GNAC history in Friday’s opener. She struck out six in the victory and threw 71 pitches, 49 for strikes. She also batted 2 for 4 with an RBI in the win. Kasner came back for the opening-game win on Saturday, allowing two runs, one earned, on six hits with three walks and eight strikeouts. Kasner is sixth in the GNAC with a 1.72 earned run average and second with 48 strikeouts.

• Junior Megan Marino led WWU at the plate with a .417 batting average, going 5 for 12 with two runs, a home run and five RBI. Marino went 3 for 4 in Friday’s opener with an RBI single in the fifth and the game-ending two-RBI single in the sixth. She had single hits in each of the final three games, including the game-winning solo home run in Saturday’s opener. Marino is 10th in the GNAC with a .364 batting average.

• Junior Kira Doan split her performances in the circle. She took the loss on Friday, allowing five runs on five hits with five walks and three strikeouts in 3.1 innings. Doan rebounded to win the Saturday series finale, allowing one run on five hits and two walks with six strikeouts. Doan also went 4 for 4 at the plate with an RBI single on Friday.

• Western Washington enters the week ranked second in the GNAC and 16th in Division II with a .372 batting average and are second in the GNAC with a 2.95 earned run average. The Vikings are 12th in Division II with a .456 slugging percentage.

• Western Washington received votes in last week’s NFCA Division II Coaches Poll, the first GNAC team to earn votes this season.

• The Vikings open conference play with a four-game series at Western Oregon on Saturday and Sunday.