Thursday, March 4, 2021

KASNER ON STRIKE: It took just one game for Western Washington senior pitcher Anna Kasner to make history.

In the Vikings’ season-opener on Friday against Puget Sound in Bellevue, Washington, Kasner surpassed the 400 career strikeout plateau in the 7-3 victory. She became the 11th player in GNAC history to strike out 400 or more batters and is now No. 9 on the all-time list.

In the game, Kasner matched her career total with 15 strikeouts. It is the fourth time in the last decade that a GNAC pitcher has fanned 15 or more batters.

Kasner was named the GNAC Softball Pitcher of the Week after she threw for two wins for WWU, compiling a 1.62 earned run average. She allowed three runs on seven hits and struck out 21 in 13 innings. She also helped her own cause at the plate, going 6 for 8 with two runs and two RBI.

CONFERENCE...BUT NOT CONFERENCE GAMES: After a limited non-conference schedule to begin the season, the GNAC’s six competing teams will be focusing on each other with two weeks of non-conference matchups against conference teams.

Western Washington will travel south to Ellensburg for a four-game series against in-state rival Central Washington. Montana State Billings will come west for a four-game series with Saint Martin’s.

The only exception to the matchups is Northwest Nazarene. The Nighthawks will host Division III Whitworth for a four-game series on Friday and Saturday. Northwest Nazarene was scheduled to host Western Oregon but the series was postponed to March 26 and 27.

The true conference season will begin on Friday, March 19 with Northwest Nazarene hosting Saint Martin’s.

THIS WEEK'S GNAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
PLAYER
Brittany Genuardi, Northwest Nazarene
C • 5-6 • Senior • Spanaway, Wash.

Genuardi led the Nighthawks to a three-win week over Eastern Oregon, batting .700 with five runs, eight RBI, three doubles and a home run while also drawing five walks. Genuardi went 4 for 4 with two doubles and four RBI in Friday’s 9-1 game two victory. She then went 2 for 3 with a three-run homer in Saturday’s 11-3 game one victory before ending the series with a two-run double in a four-run seventh inning that kept NNU in it in the eventual 7-6 loss.

Also Nominated: Theresa Moyle (Central Washington), Destiny Conerly (Saint Martin’s), Lauren Lo (Western Washington).

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

Kasner picked up two wins for the Vikings in their opening weekend, compiling a 1.62 earned run average with 21 strikeouts. In Friday’s 7-3 win over Puget Sound, Kasner allowed three runs on five hits and matched a career-high with 15 strikeouts and surpassed the 400 career strikeout mark. In Saturday’s 8-0, six-inning win over Pacific Lutheran on Saturday, Kasner threw a two-hit shutout, allowing two walks while striking out six. Kasner also helped her own cause at the plate, going 6 for 8 with two runs and two RBI in the two games.

Also Nominated: Rhaney Harris (Central Washington), Sidney Booth (Northwest Nazarene), Tia Ridings (Saint Martin’s).

AROUND THE GNAC
CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington opened its 2021 season with a sweep of Division III Puget Sound on Saturday, winning 13-5 in six innings and 18-6 in five innings.

• Senior Maddy Zerr led the offense with a .750 batting average, going 3 for 4 with three RBI in the twinbill. She went 2 for 3 in the opener with an RBI double in the third inning. Her one hit in game two was an RBI single in the first. Zerr leads Division II with a .750 batting average and .833 on-base percentage.

• Senior Theresa Moyle went 4 for 6 in the doubleheader with two triples, four runs and five RBI. Moyle’s one hit in the opener was a three-RBI triple in the Wildcats’ five-run sixth. She then went 3 for 3 in the nightcap with an RBI single in the first and an RBI triple in the second. Moyle’s .667 batting average ranks sixth in Division II and her 2.50 RBI per game ranks second.

• Senior Rhaney Harris was the winning pitcher in game one, allowing one hit and three walks while striking out three in three innings of relief. Senior Lexie Strasser was the winner in game two, allowing four runs, three earned, on five hits in four innings. Junior Samantha Stanfield closed game one by striking out five in two innings.

• Central Washington enters the week with a .473 batting average and 5.73 earned run average. The Wildcats are first in Division II in batting average, on-base percentage (.569) and stolen bases per game (5.00).

• The Wildcats will host Western Washington for a four-game non-conference series on Saturday and Sunday. The games will end a six-game season-opening homestand.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Montana State Billings went 3-1 in a home series with Carroll (Mont.). The Yellowjackets swept the Saints on Tuesday, 8-5 and 7-6. Carroll won Wednesday’s opener, 7-5 before MSUB came back for a 10-1, five-inning win in the nightcap.

• Junior Brittanee Fisher led MSUB with a .500 batting average in the series, going 4 for 8 with three runs and two RBI. She had one hit in each of Tuesday’s games, including a game-winning solo home run in game two. She then went 2 for 4 with another solo homer in the opener on Wednesday. Fisher enters the week with a .333 batting average and is among the GNAC leaders with two home runs.

• Junior Leslie Jones and freshman Marin Penney each batted .375 in the series. Jones went 3 for 8 with three runs and two RBI, including a two-run homer in Wednesday’s first game. Penney also went 3 for 8 and hammered a two-run homer in Tuesday’s second game. Jones leads MSUB over six games with a .417 batting average.

• Freshman Julia Qualteri was the winning pitcher in Tuesday’s opener, allowing two runs on five hits with two strikeouts in five innings to improve to 1-1 on the season. Freshman Jenna Kister picked up the other two wins. She won Tuesday’s second game in relief, allowing two runs on three hits with two strikeouts in one inning. Kister went the distance in Wednesday’s second game, allowing one run on four hits with eight strikeouts.

• The Yellowjackets enter the week with a .288 batting average and a 7.65 earned run average.

• Montana State Billings travels to Saint Martin’s for a four-game non-conference series on Saturday and Sunday.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene opened the season by going 3-1 last weekend at home against Eastern Oregon. The Nighthawks swept Friday’s games 6-0 and 9-1 in five innings. On Saturday, NNU won the opener 11-3 in six innings before taking a 7-6 loss in the nightcap despite a four-run seventh-inning rally.

• Senior Brittany Genuardi was named the GNAC Softball Player of the Week after she batted .700 in the four-game series. She went 7 for 10 with five runs, eight RBI, three doubles and a home run. Genuardi went 4 for 4 in Friday’s nightcap, which included a two-run double in the third and RBI singles in the fourth and fifth. She smashed a three-run homer in Saturday’s opener and hit an RBI double in the nightcap. Genuardi ranks fourth in Division II with a .700 batting average and is 11th with 0.75 doubles per game.

• Sophomore Sidney Booth batted .625 in the series, going 5 for 8 with a run and an RBI. She went 1 for 3 in Friday’s opener and provided an RBI single in the nightcap. Booth finished the series by going 3 for 3 in Saturday’s opener. In the circle, Booth amassed a 2.15 earned run average in two appearances, allowing four runs on eight hits with 21 strikeouts. She went the distance in Friday’s opener, allowing two hits and one walk while striking out 11. Booth is seventh in Division II in batting average and 21st with a 7.00 strikeout to walk ratio.

• The Nighthawks enter the week ranked seventh in Division II with a .404 team batting average, third with a .519 on-base percentage and 10th with a 4.50 strikeout to walk ratio. Northwest Nazarene is second in the GNAC with a 2.80 earned run average.

• Northwest Nazarene’s 20-game season-opening homestand continues this weekend as the Nighthawks host Whitworth for four games on Friday and Saturday.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Saint Martin’s took three of four games over Whitworth last week. After dropping the Saturday opener 8-5, the Saints came back for an 11-3, six-inning win. The Saints took both games on Sunday, 2-0 and 7-2.

• Freshman Destiny Conerly led the Saints in the series with  a .556 batting average, going 5 for 9 with five runs, three RBI, two doubles and a triple. Conerly went 3 for 3 in Saturday’s second game with a pair of RBI doubles. She finished with single hits in Saturday’s opener and Sunday’s nightcap. Conerly leads the Saints with a .429 batting average.

• Freshman Britney Patrick leads the GNAC with eight hits and four doubles and is tied for second in the conference with seven runs. Patrick batted .388 with four hits and two doubles in the Whitworth series, finishing with one hit in each game. Patrick also ranks 11th in Division II with 0.75 doubles per game.

• Freshman Tia Ridings improved to 3-0 on the season with two wins in the circle in the Whitworth series. She earned the six-inning win in Saturday’s second game, allowing three runs, one earned, on six hits and two walks with seven strikeouts. In Sunday’s nightcap, Ridings allowed two runs on eight hits and three walks with seven strikeouts. Ridings currently leads the GNAC with a 1.05 earned run average, allowing five runs, three earned, in 20 innings.

• Saint Martin’s leads the GNAC with a 2.05 earned run average and has a .294 batting average. The Saints are second in Division II with 3.25 doubles per game and 27th with a .522 slugging percentage.

• The Saints will host Montana State Billings for a four-game non-conference series on Saturday and Sunday to close an eight-game homestand.

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 has yet to open its season. This weekend’s scheduled four-game non-conference series at Northwest Nazarene was postponed due to health and safety protocols. The series has been rescheduled for March 26 and 27.

• The Wolves will open the season by hosting Central Washington for a four-game non-conference series on March 13 and 14.

• Western Oregon finished the abbreviated 2020 season with a 13-10 overall record and was fourth in the GNAC standings at 3-2.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington opened its season by going 3-1 against Northwest Conference foes. The Vikings opened in Bellevue, Washington on Friday, sweeping Puget Sound 7-3 and 10-2 (5 innings). Western returned home on Saturday, losing to Pacific Lutheran 7-1 in the opener before winning the nightcap 8-0 in five innings.

• Senior Anna Kasner was named the GNAC Softball Pitcher of the Week after winning two games and compiling a 1.62 earned run average. In 13 innings, Kasner allowed three runs on seven hits and struck out 21 in 13 innings. Kasner won the opener on Friday, allowing three runs on five hits and three walks and tied a career-high with 15 strikeouts. In the process, Kasner surpassed the 400 career strikeout plateau. Kasner then threw a two-hit shutout in Saturday’s nightcap, walking two and striking out six. In addition, Kasner went 6 for 8 at the plate with two runs and two RBI.

• Senior Tatum Dow went 7 for 14 in the four games with three runs and an RBI. Dow had a hit in both games against Puget Sound, including an RBI double to open scoring in the nightcap. In Saturday’s second game Dow went 2 for 4 with a run scored.

• Junior Megan Marino is ranked second in Division II with a .714 batting average over three games. She came up big in Friday’s nightcap with Puget Sound, going 3 for 3 with an RBI double in the third and a one-run single in the fifth. Marino then went 2 for 3 in Saturday’s opener.

• Western Washington is 13th in Division II with a .382 batting average and ranks ninth nationally with a .989 fielding percentage. The Vikings own a 3.36 earned run average and rank second in Division II with 0.75 double plays turned per game.

• The Vikings travel to Central Washington to play a four-game non-conference series on Saturday and Sunday.