Wednesday, April 10, 2019

WILDCATS PAD CONFERENCE LEAD: Central Washington stumbled a bit over the last couple of weeks, dropping a pair of conference games before going 2-5 during Tournament of Champions week. On the return home, though, the Wildcats seemed to put things in order.

After losing the first game of their Saturday doubleheader to Simon Fraser, 3-2, the Wildcats proceeded to win three straight. The key wins came in a doubleheader sweep of in-state rival Western Washington on Sunday, collecting 6-2 and 6-3 victories. Central hit .390 in the four games and amassed a 1.88 earned run average.

The Wildcats saw four players hit .500 or better in the four games, led by a .643 batting average for junior Savannah Egbert in which she hit 9 for 14 with seven runs.

The three wins allowed the Wildcats to improve to 13-3 on the season. Western Washington sits in second place at 13-7.

ARCENEAUX’S ARSENAL: Western Oregon’s Ayanna Arceneaux went on a remarkable tear over the Wolves’ six games. The sophomore was named the GNAC Softball Player of the Week after hitting .667 in four weekend games against Northwest Nazarene, going 8 for 12 with a run and three RBI.

The tear didn’t end there. In Monday’s rain make-up doubleheader against Montana State Billings in Portland, Arceneaux went 4 for 5 with three runs and three RBI. For the week, Arceneaux hit an impressive .706 as she went 12 for 17. She put together a .765 slugging percentage and a .722 on-base percentage.

The impressive week allowed Arceneaux to move into first place in the GNAC and 10th in Division II with a .495 batting average.

THIS WEEK'S GNAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
PLAYER
Ayanna Arceneaux, Western Oregon
OF • 5-4 • Sophomore • Puyallup, Wash.

Arceneaux led the Wolves offensively by batting .667 in four games against Northwest Nazarene, going 8 for 12 with a run, three RBI and a double. After going 3 for 3 in Friday’s opener, Arceneaux used her only hit in game two to score the Wolves’ first run of the game in an eventual 12-5 win. She opened Saturday by going 2 for 2 and then went 2 for 3 in the nightcap with an RBI single in the Wolves’ seven-run fourth inning.

Also Nominated: Katie Kastning (Central Washington), Mckenzie Smith (Concordia), Sidney Pollard (Montana State Billings), Alyssa French (Saint Martin’s), Alex Ogg (Simon Fraser), Paityn Cyr (Western Washington).

PITCHER
Jordan Adams, Northwest Nazarene
P • 5-8 •  Sophomore • Gig Harbor, Wash.

Adams pitched two wins for the Nighthawks at Western Oregon, allowing just one run on 10 hits and five walks while striking out 14 in 14 innings. She did not allow an extra-base hit in her two starts. In Friday’s opener, Adams allowed the one run on six hits and four walks while striking out four in the 3-1 victory. She then threw a four-hit shutout in Saturday’s opener, walking one and striking out six in a 1-0 victory. The games were the 10th and 11th wins of the season for Adams.

Also Nominated: Lexie Strasser (Central Washington), Allie Hancock (Concordia), Brandi Schoessler (Saint Martin’s), Jessica Fasolino (Simon Fraser), Maddie Mayer (Western Oregon), Makinlee Sellevold (Western Washington).

AROUND THE GNAC
CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington took three of four games last week to maintain its lead in the GNAC standings. The Wildcats split with Simon Fraser, dropping Saturday’s opener 3-2 before collecting a 12-3, five-inning victory. Central swept a doubleheader with Western Washington on Sunday, 6-2 and 6-3.

• Sophomore Katie Kastning led the CWU offense with a .571 batting average, going 8 for 14 with five runs, four RBI, two doubles and a home run. Kastning went 2 for 3 in Saturday’s opener with SFU and then went 4 for 4 in the nightcap with four RBI and a two-run homer to end the game in the fifth. She closed the week with one hit in each of the games against WWU. Kastning is eighth in the GNAC with a .390 batting average and is tied for second in the GNAC with 11 doubles.

• Junior Savannah Egbert batted .643 in the four games, going 9 for 14 with seven runs and one RBI. She went 3 for 4 in the opener with Simon Fraser and 3 for 3 in the nightcap with an RBI single in the second. Egbert’s production against Western Washington was highlighted by her 2 for 4 performance in Sunday’s opener. Egbert is fourth in the GNAC with a .442 batting average and is tied for first in the GNAC with 39 runs scored.

• Sophomore Lexie Strasser went 1-1 on the weekend and amassed a 1.00 earned run average. She took the loss in Saturday’s opener against Simon Fraser, allowing three unearned runs on nine hits with seven strikeouts. She then earned the win in the Sunday opener with Western Washington, allowing two runs on four hits with three walks and three strikeouts. Strasser is fourth in the GNAC with a 2.82 earned run average.

• Central Washington is second in the GNAC and 17th in Division II with a .333 batting average to go with a 4.10 earned run average.  The Wildcats are 27th in Division II with a .401 on-base percentage and 24th in scoring at 6.38 runs per game.

• Central Washington will be at Montana State Billings for a fouR-game series on Saturday and Sunday.

CONCORDIA
• Concordia took three of four games from Montana State Billings home. The Cavaliers swept Saturday’s games, 6-2 and 3-2. Concordia lost Sunday’s opener 7-5 before taking the nightcap by a 7-3 score.

• Senior Mckenzie Smith had a successful week both at the plate and in the circle. She led the Cavaliers with a .455 batting average, going 5 for 11 with three runs, five RBI, a double and a home run. She also went 2-0 in the circle, allowing five runs, four earned, on 12 hits with seven strikeouts. Smith went 2 for 3 with an RBI double in Saturday’s second game and also earned the pitching win, allowing two runs, one earned, on six hits with two strikeouts. She repeated the feat in Sunday’s second game, going 2 for 3 with a three-run homer and picked up the pitching win by allowing three runs on six hits with five strikeouts in five innings. Smith enters the week with a .305 batting average and 3.54 earned run average.

• Sophomores Linda Gherir and Paityn Willoughby each went 4 for 10 in the series. Willoughby went 2 for 2 in Saturday’s opener while Gherir capped her week by going 2 for 4 in Sunday’s opener. Willoughby is batting .337 for the Cavaliers while Gherir is batting .309.

• Concordia enters the week with a .278 batting average and is third in the GNAC with a 3.35 earned run average.  The Cavaliers are 13th in Division II with 0.46 double plays turned per game.

• Concordia will face Western Oregon in four games this weekend, playing a doubleheader in Portland on Saturday and in Monmouth on Sunday.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Montana State Billings dropped five of six games on their Oregon road trip. The Yellowjackets were swept by Concordia on Saturday, 6-3 and 3-2, won the first game on Sunday, 7-5, but the nightcap 7-3. The trip ended with a pair of five-inning losses to Western Oregon on Monday, 12-0 and 11-1.

• Freshman Sidney Pollard led the Yellowjackets against Concordia with a .545 batting average, going 6 for 11 with one run, five RBI and two doubles. Pollard went 2 for 3 in Saturday’s second game and then went 2 for 3 in Sunday’s win, which included a bases-clearing double in the seventh that scored the game-winning run. Pollard enters the week with a .275 batting average.

• Senior Madison Kelly also went 6 for 11 in the Concordia series with five runs, two RBI and three doubles. Kelly went 2 for 3 in Saturday’s second game, opening scoring with an RBI single in the fourth. She scored two runs in Sunday’s opener and went 3 for 3 with an RBI double. Kelly enters the week with a .294 batting average.

• Freshman Alyssa Etheridge earned the lone MSUB pitching win over the week, allowing five runs on six hits with nine walks and six strikeouts in Sunday’s opener. Etheridge enters the week with a 5.02 earned run average and is tied for first in the GNAC with two home runs allowed.

• The Yellowjackets enter the week with a .247 batting average and 4.96 earned run average.

• Montana State Billings is scheduled to play its long-awaited first home games of the season this weekend, hosting Central Washington on Saturday and Sunday.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene split both doubleheaders in a weekend series at Western Oregon. The Nighthawks won both opening games, 3-1 on Friday and 1-0 on Saturday, and dropped the second games by scores of 12-5 and 7-0.

• Sophomore Jordan Adams was named the GNAC Softball Pitcher of the Week after she picked up both of the Nighthawks’ wins, allowing one run on 10 hits with 14 strikeouts in 14 innings. She allowed the one run on six hits with four walks and eight strikeouts in Friday’s 3-1 victory. Adams then threw a four-hit shutout, walking one and striking out six in Saturday’s 1-0 win. In both games, Adams did not allow an extra-base hit. Adams had an 11-5 record and leads the GNAC with a 1.86 earned run average.

• Senior Kylie Orr led the Nighthawks offensively with a .545 batting average, going 6 for 11 with a run, five RBI and two doubles. Orr went 2 for 2 in Friday’s opener and then went 3 for 4 with two runs and an RBI single in the second game. Orr leads NNU and ranks fifth in the GNAC with a .435 batting average.

• Senior Anna Williams was one of four NNU players to finish with three hits in the series and also scored three runs with two stolen bases. Her week was topped by a 3 for 4 effort in Friday’s second game with the two runs. Williams is sixth in the GNAC with .414 batting average. She is 18th in Division II with 53 hits, fifth with 99 total bases and is 26th with 10 home runs.

• The Nighthawks enter the week with a .305 batting average and 4.31 earned run average. The team leads the GNAC with 62 doubles.

• Northwest Nazarene is scheduled to play its final 12 games of the regular season at home. The Nighthawks open the long homestand with four games against Saint Martin’s on Friday and Saturday.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Playing its first game on its home field this season, Saint Martin’s earned a pair of splits. The Saints split with Western Washington on Saturday, losing the opener 11-3 before winning the nightcap 6-4. The Saints beat Simon Fraser in Sunday’s opener, 12-4 in five innings, before losing the nightcap 5-4.

• Senior Alyssa French led the Saints at the plate, batting .583 while going 7 for 12 with two runs, seven RBI, two doubles and a home run. French went 2 for 3 in Saturday’s nightcap with WWU, which included a two-run homer in the seventh that won the game. She then went 2 for 4 in Sunday’s opener with SFU, topped by a three-run double in the first. French enters the week with a .284 batting average in 30 games.

• Senior Lauren Diuco and sophomore Emery Norwood each batted .500 in the four games. Diuco went 7 for 14 with four runs and an RBI, topped by her 3 for 4 performance with two runs and an RBI double in Sunday’s opener with Simon Fraser. Norwood went 6 for 12 with two runs in the leadoff spot. She went 2 for 4 in Saturday’s nightcap with WWU and 2 for 3 in Sunday’s opener with SFU. Diuco is ninth in the GNAC with a .370 batting average while Norwood is averaging .383 in 23 games.

• Junior Brandi Schoessler earned both wins in the circle for the Saints. She allowed one run on two hits in 1.1 innings of relief to earn the win over Western Washington. She then allowed four runs, three earned, on seven hits and struck out three in the five-inning win over Simon Fraser. Schoessler owns a 3.80 earned run average and is second in the GNAC with 15 wins.

• Saint Martin’s enters the week with a .290 batting average and 5.36 earned run average. The Saints are 14th in Division II with 0.46 double plays per game.

• Saint Martin’s will head to Nampa, Idaho, for a four-game series with Northwest Nazarene on Friday and Saturday.

SIMON FRASER
• After going 1-18 since the start of conference play, Simon Fraser split three doubleheaders over a four-day span. The Clan split at Central Washington on Saturday, winning the opener 3-2 and losing the nightcap 12-3 (5 inn.). Simon Fraser dropped its opener at Saint Martin’s on Sunday, 12-4 (5 inn.) before picking up the 5-4 win. On Tuesday, the Clan split 2-1 decisions at Western Washington.

• Sophomore Alex Ogg led the Clan with a .600 batting average in the six games, going 12 for 20 with four runs, five RBI and a home run. Ogg went 2 for 3 with a solo home run in Sunday’s opener at Saint Martin’s before going 4 for 4 with a pair of RBI singles in the nightcap. At Western Washington, Ogg went 2 for 3 in the opener and then went 3 for 4 in the nightcap. Ogg is second in the GNAC and 21st in Division II with a .469 batting average.

• Senior Hailey Gearey batted .412 in the six games, going 7 for 17 with three runs. She had a hit in each game of the stretch and finished up by going 2 for 3 with an RBI single in Tuesday’s nightcap with Western Washington. Gearey enters the week with a .284 batting average.

• Freshman Anissa Zacharchuk compiled a 3.50 earned run average and picked up two wins in the circle. Zacharchuk was the winner in Sunday’s 5-4 win over SMU, allowing four runs on 10 hits and two walks. She then was the winner in Tuesday’s 2-1 victory over WWU, allowing one run on five hits and two walks. Zacharchuk enters the week with a 4.57 earned run average.

• Simon Fraser enters the week with a .296 batting average and 6.26 earned run average. The Clan is fourth in Division II with 0.55 double plays per game.

• Simon Fraser is off this weekend. The Clan returns to action when they host doubleheaders against Concordia on Apr. 19 and Western Oregon on Apr. 20.

WESTERN OREGON
• Western Oregon split with Northwest Nazarene in a four-game weekend series, winning the second game of both doubleheaders. The Wolves were 12-5 winners on Friday and 7-0 winners on Saturday. Western Oregon then scored a pair of five-inning wins over Montana State Billings on Monday, 12-0 and 11-1.

• Sophomore Ayanna Arceneaux was named the GNAC Softball Player of the Week after hitting .667 in the four games against NNU, going 8 for 12 with a run and three RBI. After going 3 for 3 in Friday’s opener, Arceneaux used her only hit in game two to score the Wolves’ first run of the game in an eventual 12-5 win. She opened Saturday by going 2 for 2 and then went 2 for 3 in the nightcap with an RBI single in the Wolves’ seven-run fourth inning. Against MSUB, Arceneaux went 4 for 5 and went 2 for 3 with a two-run single in the second game. Arceneaux leads the GNAC and is 10th in Division II with a .495 batting average.

• Senior Ryanne Whitaker batted .600 in the six games, going 12 for 20 with six runs and eight RBI. Whitaker went 2 for 5 with a two-RBI single in Friday’s win over NNU. She then went 2 for 3 in both of Saturday’s games, with a three-run triple in the second game. Whitaker went 3 for 3 in Monday’s opener with MSUB and 2 for 2 in the nightcap. Whitaker is seventh in the GNAC with a .411 batting average.

• Freshman Maddie Mayer and senior Haley Fabian each won two games in the circle. Mayer threw a three-hit shutout in Saturday’s win over NNU and a two-hit shutout against MSUB. Fabian allowed five runs on 11 hits in the win over NNU on Friday and allowed one run on two hits on Monday against MSUB. Mayer is third in the GNAC with a 2.70 earned run average while Fabian is fifth with a 2.88 ERA.

• The Wolves enter the week leading the GNAC and ranked 16th in Division II with a .337 batting average and rank second in the GNAC with a 2.96 earned run average. Western is 18th in Division II with 0.39 triples per game.

• Western Oregon will play a home-and-home series against Concordia, playing a doubleheader in Portland on Saturday and in Monmouth on Sunday.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington has lost three of its last five games, The Vikings split with Saint Martin’s on Saturday, winning the opener 11-3 and losing the nightcap 6-4. The Vikings dropped both games at Central Washington on Sunday, 6-2 and 6-3, and split a pair of 2-1 games with Simon Fraser on Tuesday.

• Sophomore Lauren Lo paced the Vikings by hitting .421 in the six games, going 8 for 19 with two runs and two RBI. Lo went 2 for 3 with two runs in the Saturday victory over SMU and then went 3 for 3 with an RBI in Sunday’s nightcap with CWU. Lo also went 2 for 3 in Tuesday’s win over SMU with a RBI double. Lo enters the week with .324 batting average.

• Senior Emily Benson hit .364 in the six games, going 4 for 11 with three runs. She did not have a hit in the SMU doubleheader, but was walked seven times. She closed the run with a 2 for 3 performance and a run scored in the second game against Simon Fraser. Benson is third in the GNAC and 27th in Division II with a .462 batting average. She is fourth in Division II with 13 home runs.

• Senior Makinlee Sellevold had both pitching wins for the week. She allowed three runs on four hits with eight strikeouts against SMU and allowed one run on seven hits with six strikeouts against SFU. Sellevold is second in the GNAC with a 2.28 earned run average and is 26th in Division II with 134 strikeouts.

• Western Washington enters the week with a .311 batting average and leads the GNAC with a 2.96 earned run average. They are 29th in Division II with a .489 slugging percentage.

• The Vikings are off this weekend and will host Western Oregon on Apr. 19 and Concordia on Apr. 20.