Tuesday, March 23, 2021

BREAKING OUT THE BATS: The first week of the conference season proved that there is plenty of offense to go around in the GNAC.
Four of the conference’s six competing teams finished with no less than 24 runs and 34 hits in their four-game series over the weekend. Billings proved to be the biggest launch point with Montana State Billings and Central Washington combining to score 64 runs on 90 hits in their four-game set. That series also featured an impressive 17 home runs and 31 extra-base hits.

The Billings series was offensively highlighted by a 13-12, eight-inning win for MSUB in Monday’s opener that ended on the game’s seventh home run, a solo shot by senior Hailee Gregerson.

Northwest Nazarene had 39 hits and outscored Saint Martin’s 24-5 to sweep its four-game series in Nampa. The Nighthawks enter the week ranked fourth in Division II with a .408 team batting average and eighth with a .611 slugging percentage.

Western Washington was just as dominant, outscoring Western Oregon 24-5 in taking three of four games from the Wolves. The Vikings finished with 34 hits and drew 19 walks. Western Washington is 14th in Division II with a .357 batting average.

TURNING THREE: Central Washington turned in a softball rarity in Monday’s second game, picking a third-inning triple play to stave off a potential Montana State Billings rally.

With runners on first and second, Allie Reynolds lined out to first baseman Alycia Bannan. She touched first base for the force out and then threw to shortstop Sydney Brown, who tagged second base for the third out.

While the GNAC does not have a list of all-time triple plays for baseball or softball, the feat is without a doubt very rare. Only 722 triple plays have been turned in Major League Baseball since 1876.

BACK TO NON-CONFERENCE PLAY: Thanks to the revised schedule with Simon Fraser being unable to compete due to the U.S./Canada border closure, the GNAC’s six teams find themselves going back to non-conference play after just one week of conference action.

Northwest Nazarene and Western Oregon will face each other in a non-conference series in Nampa on Friday and Saturday. The series was originally scheduled for late February but was postponed due to health and safety protocols. The four-game set will end a season-opening 20-game homestand for the Nighthawks.

Montana State Billings will be the only other GNAC team in action, hosting Humboldt State for four games on Saturday and Sunday.

Traditionally, the final weekend in March is held for the Stanislaus Tournament of Champions, a three-day event featuring just about every Division II team in the West Region. Both the 2020 and 2021 tournaments were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

THIS WEEK'S GNAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
PLAYER
Maia McNicoll, Northwest Nazarene
P/IF • 5-5 • Junior • Kaneohe, Hawaii

McNicoll batted .500 in the Nighthawks’ four-game sweep of Saint Martin’s with a .643 on-base percentage and a 1.400 slugging percentage. She went 5 for 10 with five runs, nine RBI and three home runs while drawing four walks. McNicoll went 2 for 2 with a pair of home runs, including a three-run shot in the first inning, of Friday’s 10-1, six-inning win in the opener. She then hit another three-run homer in the second game to break the tie in the 8-4 win. McNicoll then had a hit in each of Saturday’s games, which included an RBI single in the fourth to open scoring in the 3-0 second game win.

Also Nominated: Theresa Moyle (Central Washington), Hailee Gregerson (Montana State Billings), Britney Patrick (Saint Martin’s), Kirah McGlothan (Western Oregon), Tatum Dow (Western Washington).

PITCHER
Kira Doan, Western Washington
P/IF • 5-1 •  Junior • Brier, Wash.

Doan picked up two wins in the Vikings’ GNAC-opening series with Western Oregon. In 14 innings, Doan did not allow a run while giving up 10 hits and three walks, striking out 14. In Saturday’s 3-0 second-game win, Doan allowed four hits and a walk while striking out six. In Sunday’s 10-0 second-game shutout, Doan allowed six hits and two walks, striking out eight.

Also Nominated: Jenna Kister (Montana State Billings), Sidney Booth (Northwest Nazarene), Abby Runyon (Saint Martin’s), Reilly Tidwell (Western Oregon).

AROUND THE GNAC
CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington opened its GNAC schedule by taking three of four games from Montana State Billings. The Wildcats won both games on Sunday, 6-5 and 7-5. They lost the Monday opener, 13-12 in eight innings, before winning the nightcap, 12-4 in six innings.

• Senior Theresa Moyle had a big series, batting .588 as she went 10 for 17 with six runs, 10 RBI, two doubles and three home runs. In Sunday’s second game, Moyle went 3 for 4 with a pair of doubles and a solo home run. She went 3 for 5 in Monday’s opener with a three-run homer in the fourth and closed the series by going 2 for 4 in the nightcap with another three-run shot. Moyle is third in the GNAC with a .490 batting average and is tied for 10th in Division II with three triples.

• Sophomore Harlee Carpenter batted .583 in the four games, going 7 for 12 with seven runs scored and three doubles. She opened the series by going 3 for 4 with a double in Sunday’s first game. Carpenter closed the series with a 2 for 3 effort in Monday’s nightcap with a double and two runs scored. Carpenter enters the week ranked eighth in the GNAC with a .439 batting average and is tied for 10th in Division II with three triples.

• Junior Samantha Stanfield had a 3.82 earned run average with 7.1 innings pitched in the series. She was the winner in Sunday’s opener, allowing three runs on four hits with five walks and four strikeouts in 5.1 innings. Stanfield enters the week with a 3.79 earned run average.

• Central Washington enters the week with a .332 batting average and 5.71 earned run average. The Wildcats are 10th in Division II with eight triples.

• The Wildcats are off this weekend, returning to action on April 2 and 3 when they host Saint Martin’s for a four-game GNAC series.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Montana State Billings dropped three of four games in its GNAC-opening series with Central Washington. The Yellowjackets lost both of Sunday’s games, 6-5 and 7-6, before taking the Monday opener in eight innings, 13-12. The Wildcats won the nightcap in six innings, 12-4.

• Freshman Brie Frazier led MSUB offensively with a .500 batting average, going 7 for 14 with four runs. She had a hit in each game, paced by her 2 for 3 effort in Sunday’s opener and a 3 for 5 performance with two runs scored in Monday’s opener. Her one RBI came in Monday’s nightcap on a double in the second inning. Frazier enters the week with a .333 batting average and a team-leading 15 hits.

• Sophomore Sidney Pollard also batted .500 in the series, going 6 for 12 with three runs, three RBI, a double and two home runs. She went 2 for 3 in the Sunday opener with a solo home run and an RBI single. Pollard had two hits in both of Monday’s games, including a solo home run in the opener and a double in the nightcap. Pollard enters the week with a team-leading .419 batting average.

• Sophomore Alyssa Etheridge earned the Monday pitching win in relief for MSUB, allowing just two hits and one walk while striking out three in three innings to improve to 1-1 on the season. Freshman Jenna Kister leads MSUB with a 6.38 earned run average.

• The Yellowjackets enter the week with a .293 batting average and a 7.85 earned run average. The team ranks 28th with 11.15 hits allowed per seven innings and 21st with 1.14 home runs per game.

• Montana State Billings returns to non-conference play this weekend, hosting Humboldt State for a four-game series on Saturday and Sunday.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene bolted out to a 4-0 start to the GNAC season with a series sweep of Saint Martin’s. The Nighthawks took Friday’s games by scores of 9-1 (6 innings) and 8-4 and Saturday’s contests by scores of 4-0 and 3-0.

• Junior Maia McNicoll was named the GNAC Softball Player of the Week after she batted .500 in the four games, going 5 for 10 with five runs, nine RBI, three homers and four walks. McNicoll went 2 for 2 in Friday’s opener with four RBI, a three-run homer and a solo shot. She then hit her third homer of the series in the nightcap, another three-run shot. McNicoll had a hit, a run scored and an RBI in each of Saturday’s games. McNicoll enters the week ranked fourth in the GNAC with her .473 batting average.

• Sophomore Sidney Booth got it done both at the plate and in the circle. Booth batted .615 in the four games, going 8 for 13 with three runs, four RBI, two doubles, a triple and a home run. She had two or more hits in three of the games, topped by a 3 for 4 performance in Friday’s nightcap with an RBI single and a two-run homer. Booth won in the circle in Friday’s opener, allowing one run on four hits with a walk and seven strikeouts. She also won Saturday’s nightcap, allowing two hits while striking out five. Booth enters the week ranked second in the GNAC with a .500 batting average and a 1.15 earned run average.

• Senior Brittany Genuardi continues to lead the GNAC and ranks 27th in Division II with her .537 batting average. She batted .333 in the SMU series, going 4 for 12 with a run scored and an RBI.

• The Nighthawks enter the week leading the GNAC and ranking sixth in Division II with a .414 batting average while owning a 3.50 earned run average. The Nighthawks are also eighth in Division II with a .611 slugging percentage and 24th with 175 hits.

• The Nighthawks received two votes in last week’s NFCA Division II Coaches Poll.

• Northwest Nazarene finishes its 20-game season-opening homestand with a four-game non-conference series against Western Oregon on Friday and Saturday.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Saint Martin’s dropped all four games at Northwest Nazarene to open conference play. The Saints dropped both of Friday’s games, 9-1 (6 innings) and 8-4 and both of Saturday’s games, 4-0 and 3-0.

• Freshman Britney Patrick led the Saints with a .500 batting average in the series, going 6 for 12 with two RBI, a run and a double. Patrick had an RBI single in Friday’s second game and batted 2 for 3 in both of Saturday’s games. Patrick leads Saint Martin’s and is 10th in the GNAC with a .385 batting average.

• Senior Kylie Lopez and junior Emery Norwood each had three hits in the series. Lopez’s week was headlined by going 2 for 3 in Friday’s nightcap with an RBI double and a two-run homer. Norwood had a single hit in each of the first three games.

• Freshman Abby Runyon made two starts in the circle. Her best performance came in Saturday’s second game, allowing three runs on nine hits with two walks and four strikeouts. Runyon enters the week with a 4-4 record and is ninth in the GNAC with a 3.32 earned run average.

• Saint Martin’s is third in the GNAC with a 3.44 earned run average and enters the week with a .245 batting average. The Saints lead the GNAC with a .967 fielding percentage.

• The Saints are off until they travel to Central Washington for a four-game series on April 2 and 3.

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 dropped three of four games to Western Washington to open conference play. The Wolves dropped both of Saturday’s games, 8-0 (5 innings) and 3-0. They took the Sunday opener 5-3 before dropping the nightcap 10-0.

• Sophomore Kirah McGlothan led the Wolves with a .400 batting average, going 4 for 10 with two runs, two RBI, a double and a home run. She had a hit in each game, topped by going 1 for 2 in Sunday’s opener with the game-winning two-run homer in the fourth. McGlothan enters the week with a .286 batting average.

• Freshman Hannah Stewart and senior Kiley Lynn each had three hits in the series, compiling a single hit in three different games. Stewart had an RBI in Sunday’s opener, tying the game on her fielder’s choice in the third. Stewart enters the week with a .286 batting average while Lynn has a .273 batting average.

• Freshman Jada Young earned the win on Sunday to improve to 2-0 on the season. She allowed three runs on four hits and struck out two in four innings. Junior Reilly Tidwell earned her first save of the season, retiring all three batters she faced in the seventh. Tidwell ranks eighth in the GNAC with a 3.20 earned run average while Young owns a 4.85 earned run average.

• Western Oregon enters the week with a .231 batting average and a 4.02 earned run average.

• The Wolves will travel to Nampa, Idaho this weekend for a four-game non-conference series with Northwest Nazarene. The series was originally scheduled to be played in February but had to be postponed due to health and safety protocols.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington opened its GNAC season by taking three of four games at Western Oregon. The Vikings took both ends of Saturday’s doubleheader, 8-0 (5 innings) and 3-0. The Vikings lost Sunday’s opener, 5-3, before taking the nightcap 10-0.

• Junior Kira Doan was named GNAC Softball Pitcher of the Week after she threw 14 innings of shutout ball for two of the three wins. In Saturday’s second-game win, Doan allowed four hits and a walk while striking out six. In Sunday’s nightcap, she allowed six hits and two walks and struck out eight. Doan enters the week with a 5-2 record and is fifth in the GNAC with a 2.45 earned run average.

• Junior Tatum Dow paced the WWU offense with a .500 batting average, going 7 for 14 with three runs, nine RBI, a double and two home runs. Dow went 3 for 4 in Saturday’s opener with an RBI single and RBI double. She opened Sunday’s twinbill with a two-run homer in the first game and then exploded to go 3 for 5 in game two with a three-run homer and a two-run single. Dow ranks sixth in the GNAC with a .471 batting average.

• Junior Dakota Brooks batted .455 in the series, going 5 for 11 with a run, two RBI, a double and a home run. She went 2 for 2 in Saturday’s opener with a solo home run and had an RBI double in Sunday’s opener. Brooks enters the week with a .333 batting average.

• Western Washington enters the week ranked second in the GNAC and 14th in Division II with a .357 batting average and leads the GNAC with a 2.50 earned run average. The Vikings are 12th in Division II with a .446 on-base percentage.

• Western Washington received 10 votes in last week’s NFCA Division II Coaches Poll, tying for first among teams receiving votes.

• The Vikings are off until April 2 and 3 when they host Montana State Billings for a four-game GNAC series.