Tuesday, April 26, 2022

PORTLAND, Ore. - Three teams have earned their spots in next week’s GNAC Softball Championships but the race to decide the regular-season champion is far from decided.

The top two teams in the conference, Saint Martin’s and Northwest Nazarene, went head-to-head for a four-game series on Friday and Saturday. The two teams split their games, leaving a tie for first place with four games to go.

The Saints used a throwing error in the first inning of Friday’s opener to score the game’s only run for a 1-0 victory. Sophomore Sidney Booth took the loss for the Nighthawks despite allowing just two hits while sophomore Tia Ridings and freshman Chloe Leverington combined to allow just two hits for the Saints.

Saint Martin’s used a 2 for 2 performance by freshman Kekai Schultz, which included an RBI single and a two-run homer, for a 5-3 win in the nightcap.

On Saturday, it was NNU’s turn to pick up the wins. Booth threw a one-hitter while junior Tori Hensley’s 3 for 4 performance led the Nighthawks to the 8-0, five-inning victory. In the second game, Hensley and sophomore Gina Skinner combined to allow one run on three hits en route to the 7-1 victory.

In the process of gaining the split, both NNU and SMU clinched their spots in the GNAC Championships.

Western Washington secured its GNAC Championships berth thanks to a split of its series at Western Oregon. The series featured a pair of extra-inning games. The Saturday opener went 11 innings, ending with WOU sophomore Natalie Willoughby’s two-run homer in the 11th for the 5-4 victory.

Sunday’s finale went into the ninth inning before the Vikings put together a three-run inning to secure the 4-1 win and the conference tournament berth. Freshman Kanilehua Pitoy opened scoring in the ninth with an RBI double and Chantelle Shimabukuro scored two more with a single to left field.

Central Washington, Simon Fraser and Western Oregon remain in contention for the fourth and final berth in the tournament, which runs May 5-7 at Saint Martin’s. Central Washington did not play last week and will close the regular season with a four-game home series against the Wolves on Saturday and Sunday. Simon Fraser will play at Northwest Nazarene on Friday and Saturday.

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THIS WEEK'S GNAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
PLAYER
Chelsea Hotner, Simon Fraser
OF • 5-5 • Junior • Abbotsford, B.C.

Hotner led Simon Fraser to a split with Montana State Billings in its season home finale, batting .500 with seven hits, three doubles and four RBI. Hotner went 2 for 4 in Saturday’s 4-2 second-game loss before going 4 for 4 in Sunday’s opener with a two-run single in the sixth inning. She wrapped up the series by going 1 for 3 in the 2-1 second-game victory. She batted in SFU’s opening run with a sacrifice fly in the third.

Also Nominated: Brittanee Fisher (Montana State Billings), Tori Hensley (Northwest Nazarene), Kekai Schultz (Saint Martin’s), Natalie Willoughby (Western Oregon), Dakota Brooks (Western Washington).

PITCHER
Maddie Mayer, Western Oregon
P • 5-8 • Senior • Portland, Ore.

Mayer was the winning pitcher in both of Western Oregon’s wins against Western Washington, allowing just four unearned runs on 13 hits with 13 strikeouts in 18 innings. Mayer threw all 11 innings in Saturday’s 5-4 opening-game victory, allowing four unearned runs on 10 hits and a walk with seven strikeouts. On Sunday, Mayer threw a complete-game three-hitter, striking out six in a 2-0 Wolves’ victory.

Also Nominated: Alyssa Etheridge (Montana State Billings), Sidney Booth (Northwest Nazarene), Chloe Leverington (Saint Martin’s), Shaneika Hollingsworth (Simon Fraser), Kira Doan (Western Washington).

AROUND THE GNAC
CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington did not play last week. The Wildcats will play to secure the fourth and final GNAC Championships spot in a four-game series against Western Oregon on Saturday and Sunday.

• In its last games, Central Washington split its series at Western Washington. The Wildcats scored 2-1 and 3-2 victories on Apr. 15 before the Vikings swept on Apr. 16, 4-2 and 3-1.

• Junior Alyssa Benthagen finished with a .500 batting average to lead the Wildcats, going 6 for 12 with three runs scored, three home runs and five RBI. Benthagen had the game-winning homer in the Apr. 15 opener and tied the game with a two-run shot in the nightcap. She added another solo homer in the Apr. 16 opener before going 3 for 4 in the nightcap with an RBI single. Benthagen enters the week with a .315 batting average.

• Junior Harlee Carpenter batted .375 in the series, going 6 for 16 with a double and a run scored. She had a hit in each game of the series and finished by going 3 for 4 with a run scored in the Apr. 16 finale. Carpenter has a .302 batting average on the season.

• Senior Rhaney Harris was the winner in the circle in the Apr. 15 opener, allowing one run on nine hits with a walk and four strikeouts. Senior Isabel Womack won the nightcap, allowing two runs on three hits and two walks while striking out seven. Harris is seventh in the GNAC with a 3.36 earned run average while Womack owns a 3.97 earned run average.

• Central Washington enters the week with a .282 batting average and a 4.02 earned run average.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Montana State Billings closed the 2022 season with a split at Simon Fraser. The Yellowjackets split Saturday’s doubleheader, losing the opener 4-1 and winning the nightcap 4-2. They won Sunday’s opener 8-5 before taking a 2-1, eight-inning loss in the finale.

• Senior Brittanee Fisher set the MSUB career record for home runs, hitting her 41st home run in Sunday’s opener. That surpassed the previous record of 40 set by Cameron Cassinelli (2015-18) and moved her to No. 2 on the GNAC career list. Fisher batted .333 in the four-game series, going 2 for 3 with a home run in both openers. She ends the season with a .328 batting average and tied for second in the GNAC with 10 home runs.

• Sophomore Payton Meyer batted .308 in the series, going 4 for 13 with two runs scored and an RBI. Meyer went 1 for 3 in Saturday’s opener and 2 for 4 in the nightcap with a run scored. She then went 1 for 4 with an RBI single that opened scoring and a run scored in Sunday’s opener. Meyer closes the season with a .255 batting average in 27 games.

• Junior Alyssa Etheridge went 1-1 and had a save in the final weekend. She was the winner in Saturday’s second game, allowing two runs, one earned, on six hits with two walks and a strikeout. She earned the save in Sunday’s opener, allowing one hit and striking out two in an inning of work. Etheridge took the loss in the nightcap, allowing two runs, one earned, on five hits with four walks and six strikeouts. Etheridge ends the season with a 3.42 earned run average, eighth in the GNAC.

• The Yellowjackets end the season with a .245 batting average and a 4.76 earned run average. They lead the GNAC and rank 28th in Division II with 45 home runs.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene split at Saint Martin’s in a battle for first place in the GNAC. The Saints won both games on Friday, 1-0 and 5-0. The Nighthawks rallied to take both on Saturday, 8-0 (five innings) and 7-1. With the wins, NNU clinched a spot in the GNAC Softball Championships.

• Junior Tori Hensley led NNU offensively with a .500 batting average, going 7 for 14 with two runs scored and an RBI. Hensley went 1 for 3 in both Friday games with a run scored in the second game. She went 3 for 4 in Saturday’s opener, which included an RBI single in the fifth that ended the game, before going 2 for 4 in the finale. In the circle, Hensley made two appearances and earned the win in Saturday’s second game, allowing one run on three hits in 6.1 innings. Hensley enters the week with a .323 batting average and is sixth with a 3.17 earned run average.

• Sophomore Emma Mulligan batted .417 in the series, going 5 for 12 with four runs scored, two doubles and two RBI. Mulligan went 2 for 4  in Friday’s second game with a run scored. On Saturday, she went 1 for 3 with an RBI single in the opener and 2 for 4 with an RBI double and two runs scored in the nightcap. Mulligan is batting .240 for the season.

• Sophomore Sidney Booth went 1-2 with a 1.11 earned run average in three appearances. Booth took the hard-luck loss in Friday’s opener, allowing one unearned run on two hits with a walk and six strikeouts. She took the loss in relief in the nightcap, allowing two runs on three hits in 1.2 innings. She bounced back for the win in Saturday’s opener, allowing one hit and striking out five in the five-inning game. Booth leads the GNAC with a 2.02 earned run average. She is second in Division II with 21 complete games and 23rd with 170 strikeouts.

• Northwest Nazarene was the only GNAC team to appear in the first NCAA West Regional Rankings of the season, released last Wednesday. The Nighthawks appeared at No. 8.

• Northwest Nazarene leads the conference with a 2.50 earned run average and enters the week with a .285 batting average. The Nighthawks rank seventh in Division II with 19 sacrifice flies and ninth with 175 walks drawn.

• The Nighthawks close the regular season at home, hosting Simon Fraser for a four-game series on Friday and Saturday.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Saint Martin’s took a split with Northwest Nazarene in the race for first in the conference standings. The Saints won both games on Friday, 1-0 and 5-3, and dropped both games on Saturday, 8-0 (five innings) and 7-1. With the split, Saint Martin’s clinched a spot in the GNAC Championships.

• Sophomore Britney Patrick led the SMU offense with a .300 batting average, going 3 for 10 with two runs scored and a double. Patrick went 1 for 3 in Friday’s opener and 1 for 2 in the nightcap with a run scored. She went 1 for 1 in Saturday’s opener with a double. Patrick enters the week with a .264 batting average.

• Sophomore Malia Pinder and freshman Kekai Schultz each went 2 for 9 in the series. Schultz added a home run and three RBI, all of which came in Friday’s second game. Pinder is second in the GNAC with a .397 batting average while Schultz enters the week with a .261 batting average.

• Freshman Chloe Leverington collected both wins in the circle for the Saints. She threw four no-hit innings of relief in Friday’s opener, walking two and striking out four. In Friday’s second game, she allowed two unearned runs on three hits with three strikeouts in three innings. Leverington took the loss in her only start in the series finale, allowing seven runs, five earned, on eight hits with two walks and four strikeouts. Leverington is second in the GNAC with a 2.33 earned run average. She ranks 11th in Division II with a 7.54 strikeout-to-walk ratio and 26th with 0.95 walks allowed per seven innings.

• Saint Martin’s is third in the GNAC with a 3.71 earned run average and enters the week with a .279 batting average.

• Saint Martin’s concludes the regular season with a four-game series at Western Washington on Saturday and Sunday.

SIMON FRASER
• Simon Fraser closed its home schedule with a split against Montana State Billings. The team won the opener on Saturday, 4-1, but lost the nightcap 4-2. The Yellowjackets took the Sunday opener, 8-5, before SFU pulled out the 2-1, eight-inning win in the finale.

• Junior Chelsea Hotner was named the GNAC Softball Player of the Week after leading the SFU offense with a .500 batting average, going 7 for 14 with four RBI and three doubles. Hotner went 2 for 4 in Saturday’s second game with an RBI double. She then went 4 for 4 in Sunday’s opener with a double and an RBI single. She brought home both SFU runs in the finale on a sacrifice fly in the third and when she reached on an error in the eighth. Hotner enters the week with a .339 batting average.

• Junior Alex Ogg also batted .500 in the series, going 7 for 14 with three runs scored and four RBI. Ogg had an RBI single in Saturday’s opener and then went 2 for 3 in the nightcap with a sacrifice fly. She went 3 for 5 in Sunday’s opener, which included a two-RBI single, and ended with a 1 for 3 performance in the finale. Ogg leads the GNAC with a .442 batting average, is second with 57 hits and tied for third with 34 runs scored.

• Sophomore Anissa Zacharczuk went 1-1 in 9.2 innings of work in the circle. She earned the win in Saturday’s opener, allowing one run on four hits with two walks and three strikeouts. She took the loss in Sunday’s opener, allowing five runs, one earned, on seven hits in 2.2 innings. Zacharczuk enters the week with a 10-10 record and a 5.31 earned run average.

• Simon Fraser leads the GNAC with a .325 batting average and enters the week with a 5.70 earned run average. The team ranks 14th in Division II with 1.92 doubles per game and 17th with 0.44 double plays per game.

• Simon Fraser closes the regular season with a four-game series at Northwest Nazarene on Friday and Saturday.

WESTERN OREGON
• Western Oregon closed its home schedule with a split against Western Washington. The Wolves won Saturday’s opener, 5-4 (11 innings) and dropped the second game, 7-2. Western Oregon also won Sunday’s opener, 2-0, before dropping the finale 4-1 in nine innings.

• The games were the final at home for WOU head coach Lonny Sargent, who is retiring at the end of the season.

• Senior Maddie Mayer was named the GNAC Pitcher of the Week after she had a 0.00 earned run average and two wins in 18 innings of work. She went the distance in Saturday’s 11-inning game, allowing four unearnred runs on 10 hits and a walk with seven strikeouts. Mayer returned to throw a three-hit shutout in Sunday’s opener, striking out six. Mayer is fourth in the GNAC with a 2.62 earned run average.

• Junior Zoie Recolan led the WOU offense with a .385 batting average, going 5 for 15 with a run, a double and two RBI. She did her most of her damage in Saturday’s opener, going 3 for 5 with an RBI single. Recolan went 1 for 3 with an RBI in Saturday’s nightcap and went 1 for 2 in Sunday’s finale. Recolan enters the week with a .336 batting average.

• Sophomore Natalie Willoughby batted .333 in the series, going 5 for 15 with a home run and four RBI. Willoughby went 1 for 4 with the game-winning two-run homer in the 11th in Saturday’s opener, had an RBI single in Saturday’s nightcap and 2 for 3 in Sunday’s opener. Willoughby enters the week with a .346 batting average.

• Western Oregon enters the week with a .272 batting average and a 3.76 earned run average. The Wolves are 20th in Division II with 151 walks drawn.

• Western Oregon closes the regular season with a four-game series at Central Washington on Saturday and Sunday.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington secured a GNAC Championships berth with a split against Western Oregon. The Vikings dropped the Saturday opener 5-4 in 11 innings before winning the nightcap 7-2. They dropped Sunday’s opener 2-0 before ending the series with a 4-1, nine-inning win.

• Senior Dakota Brooks finished with a .353 batting average in the series to lead the Vikings, going 6 for 17 with three runs scored, two doubles, a home run and three RBI. Brooks went 3 for 6 in Saturday’s opener with an RBI double and two runs scored. She then went 2 for 4 in the nightcap with a two-run homer in the seventh. She closed the series with a 1 for 4 effort in Sunday’s finale. Brooks is seventh in the GNAC with a .366 batting average.

• Senior Tatum Dow batted .308 in the series, going 4 for 13 with three runs scored and two doubles. Dow went 2 for 6 with a double in Saturday’s extra-inning opener and went 1 for 1 with two runs scored and a double in the second game. Dow went 1 for 3 with a run scored in Sunday’s finale. Dow is ninth in the GNAC with a .348 batting average and is fifth in Division II in the “toughest to strike out” category (53.7).

• Senior Kira Doan earned both WWU pitching victories. She went the distance in Saturday’s second game, allowing two runs on six hits with four walks and four strikeouts. She threw all nine innings in Sunday’s finale, allowing one run on five hits with three walks and eight strikeouts. Doan is fifth in the GNAC with a 2.82 earned run average.

• Western Washington is second in the GNAC with a .292 batting average and a 3.25 earned run average. The Vikings rank 16th in Division II with 79 doubles.

• The Vikings close the regular season by hosting Saint Martin’s for a four-game series on Saturday and Sunday.