Tuesday, March 22, 2022

SAINTS PUT HALO AROUND OPENING WEEKEND OF GNAC PLAY: Saint Martin’s was the last team to enter GNAC play this season and made the most of the opportunity.

The Saints used their bye in the opening week to play six non-conference games, taking a pair from Northwest (Wash.) on Mar. 9 and all four games at home from Bushnell on Mar. 12 and 13.

To open the league slate, however, Saint Martin’s played host to a Simon Fraser team that had opened with a four-game sweep of Western Oregon. All of that non-conference preparation paid off as the Saints proceeded to hit .404 in the series to take all four games from SFU and leap to the top of the GNAC standings.

In Saturday’s opener, the Saints knocked out 14 hits and used a four-run first inning and a three-run second to provide the cushion for an 11-9 victory. The second game was a much different story as freshman Chloe Leverington threw a three-hitter and the Saints hung seven on the board in the fourth en route to a 9-0, five-inning win. Freshman Shay Lopes went 3 for 3 in the game and had a double that scored the game-ending run.

The two teams engaged in an extra-innings marathon to open play on Sunday with both teams scoring two runs in the third and three runs in the seventh. Simon Fraser pulled ahead in the ninth when Hannah Boulanger singled down the right-field line to score Alex Ogg but sophomore Vanessa Smoke lived up to her name in the home half with a two-run game-winning homer for the 7-6 victory.

The Saints left little to chance in the finale, scoring two in the first and three in the second on the way to a 6-2 victory.

Northwest Nazarene improved to 5-3 on the season by taking three of four games from Central Washington. After dropping the Friday opener by a 6-4 score in eight innings, the Nighthawks bounced back to win 7-1 in the nightcap. They won both games on Saturday by scores of 6-2 and 10-4.

Western Oregon and Montana State Billings split their weekend series in Monmouth. The Yellowjackets claimed both Saturday games by scores of 8-2 and 8-7. The Wolves won both on Sunday, taking a 4-3, 11-inning victory in the opener and an 11-4 victory in the nightcap.

Wolves senior Reilly Tidwell threw all 11 innings in the victory, finishing just two-thirds of an inning short of the GNAC single-game record. She threw an astonishing 217 pitches in the game.

THIS WEEK'S GNAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
PLAYER
Devyn Connolly, Saint Martin’s
C • 5-8 • Senior • Corona, Calif.

Connolly batted .545 in the Saints’ four-game sweep of Simon Fraser, going 6 for 11 with two doubles, a triple, six runs and eight RBI. Connolly went 3 for 3 with a two-run double and four runs scored in Saturday’s 11-9 opening-game win and then connected for a two-run triple in the nightcap. She had a single hit in each of Sunday’s games, including a two-run double in the nightcap.

Also Nominated: Alyssa Benthagen (Central Washington), Brittanee Fisher (Montana State Billings), Abigail Gagnon (Northwest Nazarene), Alex Ogg (Simon Fraser), Logan Carlos (Western Oregon).

PITCHER
Chloe Leverington, Saint Martin’s
P • 6-0 • Freshman • Forks, Wash.

Leverington picked up two wins in the Saints’ four-game sweep of Simon Fraser, amassing a 1.17 earned run average while allowing two runs on 10 hits with seven strikeouts. Leverington allowed just three hits and struck out five in Saturday’s 9-0, five-inning victory as she faced just two batters above the minimum. She also went the distance in Sunday’s 6-2 finale, allowing two runs on seven hits with two strikeouts. Leverington did not allow a walk in the series.

Also Nominated: Alyssa Etheridge (Montana State Billings), Gina Skinner (Northwest Nazarene), Reilly Tidwell (Western Oregon).

AROUND THE GNAC
CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington lost three of four games at Northwest Nazarene. The Wildcats won the Friday opener 6-4 (8 innings) before taking a 7-1 loss in the second game. The Nighthawks won the Saturday opener and took the finale 10-4.

• Junior Alyssa Benthagen batted .429 to lead the CWU offense, going 6 for 14 with a run scored, a double, a home run and an RBI. Benthagen went 2 for 4 with a double in Friday’s opener. She had her solo home run in Saturday’s opener before closing the series with a 2 for 4 effort. Benthagen enters the week with a .351 batting average.

• Junior Allie Thiessen batted .500 in the series, going 5 for 15. She went 2 for 4 in Friday’s second game and went 2 for 4 with an RBI single and a solo home run in Saturday’s finale. Junior Myiah Seaton accounted for a team-high three RBI in the series, two of which came on a double in the eighth inning of Friday’s opener.

• Senior Rhaney Harris went 1-1 in the circle for the Wildcats. She won Friday’s opener by allowing four runs, three earned, on 10 hits with three walks and a strikeout in the complete-game effort. Harris took the loss in Saturday’s first game as she allowed six runs, five earned, on nine hits with a walk and a strikeout. Harris enters the week with a 4-7 record and 4.34 earned run average.

• Central Washington enters the week with a .269 batting average and a 5.00 earned run average. The Wildcats have stolen 22 bases on 25 attempts, ranking second in the conference.

• Central Washington returns home this weekend to host Simon Fraser for a four-game series on Saturday and Sunday.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Montana State Billings secured a road split with Western Washington. The Yellowjackets won both of Friday’s games, 8-2 and 8-7, before dropping both Saturday contests 4-3 (11 innings) and 11-4.

• Junior Alyssa Etheridge ate up an incredible amount of innings in the circle. In 17.1 innings, she allowed six runs, five earned, on 14 hits with 19 strikeouts. Etheridge was the winner in Friday’s opener, allowing two runs on five hits with eight walks and five strikeouts. She then threw 10.1 innings in Saturday’s extra-innings marathon, allowing four runs, three earned on nine hits with four walks and 14 strikeouts. Etheridge is fourth in the GNAC with a 2.82 earned run average and is second in the GNAC with 61 strikeouts.

• Senior Brittanee Fisher led the MSUB offense with a .500 batting average in the four games, going 6 for 12 with five runs, two doubles, two home runs and six RBI. Fisher went 3 for 4 with a three-run homer in Friday’s opener and hit another three-run shot to punctuate a five-run fourth inning in the nightcap. She then had a hit in each of the Saturday games. Fisher enters the week with a .373 batting average and is tied for second in the GNAC with seven home runs.

• Senior Allie Hughes batted .333 in the series, going 4 for 12 with two runs, two doubles and three RBI. Her best game came in Friday’s opener where Hughes went 2 for 3 with an RBI double and a run scored. She enters the week with a .203 batting average.

• The Yellowjackets are batting .260 on the season and own a 4.59 earned run average. They lead the GNAC with 25 home runs.

• Montana State Billings will play its first home games of the season this week, hosting Western Washington for a four-game set on Saturday and Sunday.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene took three of four games at home from Central Washington. After losing the opener, 6-4 in eight innings, the Nighthawks bounced back to win the nightcap 7-1. They then took both Saturday games by scores of 6-2 and 10-4.

• Junior Maia McNicoll led the NNU offense with a .455 batting average, going 5 for 11 with four runs, a double, a home run and four RBI. McNicoll went 2 for 3 in Saturday’s opener, which included an RBI single that opened scoring in the first. She then went 2 for 3 in the second game, hitting a two-run single in the fourth and a solo home run in the fifth. McNicoll enters the week with a .256 batting average.

• Sophomore Abigail Gagnon hit .417 in the series, going 5 for 12 with four runs scored, two home runs, five RBI and a .917 slugging percentage. Gagnon went 2 for 4 in Friday’s opener and added a two-run homer in the nightcap. She blasted another two-run homer in Saturday’s opener and also had a hit in the second game. Gagnon has a .325 batting average on the season and is tied for fourth in the GNAC with seven doubles.

• Sophomore Sidney Booth took the loss in Friday’s opener but rebounded for the win in Saturday’s opener, allowing two runs on one hit and four walks while striking out six. Booth leads the GNAC with a 9-5 record and a 1.89 earned run average. She ranks 24th in Division II with 95 strikeouts and is 17th with 14 games started.

• The Nighthawks lead the GNAC with a 2.56 earned run average and enter the week with a .284 batting average. They are seventh in Division II with 110 walks drawn and 25th with 47 doubles.

• Northwest Nazarene is off this week. The Nighthawks return to play at the Tournament of Champions in Turlock, California on April 1 and 2.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Saint Martin’s opened conference play by sweeping Simon Fraser, who entered the series with a 4-0 GNAC record. The Saints won Saturday’s games 11-9 and 9-0 (five innings) and swept the Sunday doubleheader 7-6 (nine innings) and 6-2.

• The Saints swept the GNAC Player of the Week awards for the second straight week. Senior Devyn Connolly earned the Player of the Week award after she batted .545, going 6 for 11 with two doubles, a triple, six runs and eight RBI. Connolly went 3 for 3 with a two-run double and four runs scored in Saturday’s opener and then connected for a two-run triple in the nightcap. She had a single hit in each of Sunday’s games, including a two-run double in the nightcap. Connolly is sixth in the GNAC with a .393 batting average.

• Freshman Chloe Leverington earned Pitcher of the Week honors after she amassed a 1.17 earned run average, allowing two runs on 10 hits with seven strikeouts and no walks. Leverington allowed just three hits and struck out five in Saturday’s 9-0, five-inning victory as she faced just two batters above the minimum. She also went the distance in Sunday’s 6-2 finale, allowing two runs on seven hits with two strikeouts. Leverington is 5-0 on the season and is third in the GNAC with a 2.39 earned run average. She also ranks 15th in Division II with an 8.00 strikeout-to-walk ratio, having struck out 40 batters and walked just five.

• Saint Martin’s is second in the GNAC with a 3.75 earned run average and third with a .307 batting average. The Saints are 12th in Division II with 53 doubles and fifth with 2.30 doubles per game.

• The Saints hit the road this week, taking on Western Oregon in a four-game series in Monmouth on Saturday and Sunday.

SIMON FRASER
• After opening conference play with a four-game sweep of Western Oregon, Simon Fraser found themselves swept by Saint Martin’s. The team lost all four in Lacey, dropping Saturday’s games 11-9 and 9-0 (five innings) and Sunday’s games 7-6 (nine innings) and 6-2.

• Junior Alex Ogg batted .563 in the series in the leadoff spot, going 9 for 16 with seven runs scored, a double, a home run, three RBI and four stolen bases. Ogg went 3 for 5 in Saturday’s opener, hitting a two-run single in the second. She went 4 for 5 in Sunday’s opener with three runs and went 2 for 4 with a solo home run in the nightcap. Ogg leads the GNAC and is 12th in Division II with a .479 batting average.

• Junior Chelsea Hotner had a .385 batting average in the four games, going 5 for 13 with a run scored, a double, a home run and a team-leading four RBI. Hotner had a two-run single in Saturday’s first game. On Sunday. she opened the day with a two-run home in a 2 for 5 effort and finished out with a 1 for 3 performance in the nightcap. Hotner is fifth in the GNAC with a .397 batting average.

• Freshman Julia Hansen ate up 13.1 innings in the circle for SFU in one start and two relief appearances. Hansen threw four relief innings in Saturday’s opener, allowing four runs on seven hits with two walks and three strikeouts. She went 6.1 innings to start Sunday’s opener, allowing five runs, four earned, on nine hits with a walk and three strikeouts. Hansen closed with three innings of no-hit softball in Sunday’s nightcap, striking out two.

• Simon Fraser leads the GNAC and is ninth in Division II with a .358 batting average and enters the week with a 6.96 earned run average. The team is 23rd in Division II in scoring with 6.95 runs per game.

WESTERN OREGON
• Western Oregon succeeded in a split last weekend with Montana State Billings. The Wolves lost both games on Saturday, 8-2 and 8-7. They ended a six-game losing streak by winning both on Sunday, 4-3 (11 innings) and 11-4.

• Junior Zoie Recolan batted .500 in the four games to lead the Wolves, going 7 for 14 with four runs, three doubles, a home run and four RBI. She had at least a hit in each game. Recolan went 2 for 3 and hammered a two-run homer in Saturday’s second game and then went 4 for 4 in Sunday’s finale, which included an RBI double in the sixth. Recolan is third in the GNAC with a .415 batting average and is tied for third with 34 hits.

• Senior Logan Carlos batted .467 in the series, going 7 for 15 with three runs scored, a double, a triple, two home runs, four RBI and a 1.067 slugging percentage. Carlos went 3 for 5 in Saturday’s second game, finishing a triple shy of the cycle with a two-run homer in the fourth. She then went 2 for 4 with a solo homer in Sunday’s opener and went 2 for 4 in the nightcap. Carlos is second in the GNAC with a .423 batting average. She ranks fifth in Division II with 44 hits and 82 total bases and is fourth nationally with five triples.

• Senior Reilly Tidwell was the winner in Sunday’s extra-innings opener, allowing three runs, two earned, on five hits with 10 walks and 10 strikeouts. She threw all 11 innings, finishing two-thirds of an inning short of the GNAC single-game record for innings pitched. She threw 217 pitches in the game, 113 for strikes.

• Western Oregon is second in the GNAC with a .311 batting average and third with a 4.39 earned run average. The Wolves are 28th in Division II with nine triples and 17th with 101 walks drawn.

• The Wolves close out an eight-game homestand this weekend, hosting Saint Martin’s for a four-game series on Saturday and Sunday.

• Simon Fraser returns to Washington for four more games this weekend, playing at Central Washington on Saturday and Sunday.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington did not play last week. The Vikings travel to Kirkland, Washington for a doubleheader with Northwest (Wash.) on Tuesday before going to Montana State Billings for four games on Saturday and Sunday.

• Western Washington took a split with Northwest Nazarene to start conference play. The Vikings won both games on Mar. 10, 3-2 and 10-1 (five innings) and dropped both games on Mar. 10, 9-6 and 11-5.

• Senior Lauren Lo led the WWU offense with a .538 batting average, going 7 for 13 with four runs, two doubles and an RBI. Lo went 2 for 2 in the Mar. 10 second game, which included an RBI double in the Vikings’ six-run third inning. She went 3 for 4 in the Mar. 11 opener with a double and had one hit in both Thursday’s opener and Friday’s nightcap. Lo enters the week with a .325 batting average and is second in the GNAC with 10 doubles.

• Senior Chantelle Shimabukuro batted .400 in the series, going 4 for 10 with five runs scored and an RBI. She went 2 for 3 and scored a pair of runs in the Mar. 10 second game. She had a hit in each of the Mar. 11 games and had an RBI single that tied the opener in the first inning. Shimabukuro enters the week with a .298 batting average.

• Sophomore Sydney Brown went 1-1 in her three appearances in the circle, compiling a 3.41 earned run average in the series. Brown was the winner in the Mar. 10 second game, allowing one run on five hits with three strikeouts. She threw 3.2 innings of relief in Mar. 11 opener, allowing two runs on three hits in 3.2 innings, but took the loss in the nightcap by allowing four runs, three earned, on five hits in 3.2 innings. Brown is sixth in the GNAC with a 3.42 earned run average.

• Western Washington enters the week with a .284 batting average and a 4.50 earned run average. The Vikings rank 18th in Division II with 1.92 doubles per game.