Tuesday, March 30, 2021

TIDWELL THROWS A NO-NO: It wasn’t without its challenges, but Western Oregon junior Reilly Tidwell opened the Wolves’ series at Northwest Nazarene on Friday with the second no-hitter in the GNAC this season.

Tidwell went the distance in the 3-0 victory, allowing no hits and five walks while striking out four. It is the 15th no-hitter in Western Oregon softball history and the second in the GNAC this season. Western Washington’s Anna Kasner was the first, throwing a six-inning perfect game against Saint Martin’s on March 12.

Tidwell’s no-hitter is the 28th in GNAC history and the first seven-inning no-hitter since Montana State Billings’ Alyssa Etheridge threw one against Saint Martin’s on March 8, 2019.

Tidwell worked for the no-hitter with the five walks and four hit batters, working with runners on base in every inning. She saw runners advance to third base in both the first and third innings, working out of the jam each time. Tidwell retired the side in order in the fifth inning, her only three-up, three-down inning of the game.

Tidwell finished the NNU series by allowing just one hit in 10 innings of work, returning to the circle for three innings of relief in Saturday’s second game. She ranks fourth in the GNAC with a 1.93 earned run average.

LONG HOMESTAND COMES TO A CLOSE: It was an unprecedented homestand and it may have set Northwest Nazarene up well as it enters the final month of the season.

The Nighthawks opened the season with 20 consecutive home games at Halle Field, a stretch that ended with last weekend’s four-game series with Western Oregon. The home field was indeed friendly confines with the Nighthawks going 17-3, batting .387 and compiling a 2.47 earned run average. The 17-3 mark includes an 11-1 record against GNAC opponents.

The long homestand was made possible, in part, by a late shuffle in the schedule necessitated by Simon Fraser’s inability to participate in the conference season due to the continued closure of the U.S./Canada border due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The homestand could have been 24 games but a scheduled February 19 and 20 series with Pacific Lutheran was canceled due to inclement weather.

The downside of playing such a long homestand for Northwest Nazarene is that they will play much of the rest of the season on the road. Twelve of the team’s final 16 regular-season games will be away from Nampa. The only home series will be April 23 and 24 against Western Washington.

CONFERENCE FOCUSED: As conference teams move into April, the focus will be on conference play. Five of the six weekends of the conference season will take place between now and May 2 as the teams vie for the four spots in the GNAC Softball Championships, which will take place May 6-8 at Western Oregon.

The only remaining non-conference games on the schedule involve Humboldt State, which is making a tour through GNAC Country with the cancellation of the California Collegiate Athletic Association’s season. The Lumberjacks will play at Saint Martin’s on April 6 and 7 and at Central Washington for five games between April 9 and 11.

THIS WEEK'S GNAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
PLAYER
Hailee Gregerson, Montana State Billings
OF/P • 5-5 • Senior • Park City, Mont.

Gregerson finished with a .389 batting average in six games last week, going 7 for 18 with seven runs, 10 RBI and four home runs. Gregerson opened the week by going 2 for 5 with the game-winning solo home run in Monday’s first game against Central Washington. She added a two-run shot in the second game. Gregerson hammered a two-run homer in Saturday’s opener with Humboldt State, a 13-0 win. She went 2 for 3 with a two-run single and a solo home run in Sunday’s opener before going 1 for 3 in the nightcap.

Also Nominated: Sidney Booth (Northwest Nazarene), Bailey Kahele (Western Oregon).

PITCHER
Reilly Tidwell, Western Oregon
P • 5-6 • Junior • Marana, Ariz.

Tidwell threw the second no-hitter in the GNAC this season and the 15th in Western Oregon history to beat Northwest Nazarene on Friday, 3-0. She allowed five walks and struck out four to complete the first seven-inning no-hitter in the GNAC since 2019. Tidwell also pitched three innings of relief in Saturday’s second game. In 10 innings on the week, Tidwell allowed one hit and struck out six.

Also Nominated: Alyssa Etheridge (Montana State Billings), Jackie Vargas (Northwest Nazarene).

AROUND THE GNAC
CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington’s only games last week were the end of its four-game GNAC series with Montana State Billings last Monday. After winning the first two games on Sunday, 6-5 and 7-5, the Wildcats 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 12th 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.

• 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 and 28th with a .419 on-base percentage.

• The Wildcats return to GNAC play on Friday and Saturday, hosting Saint Martin’s.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• After opening the week with a Monday split of their GNAC series with Central Washington, Montana State Billings dropped three of four games to Humboldt State. After winning the opener on Saturday, 13-0 in five innings, the Lumberjacks took the nightcap 7-4 and both Sunday games by scores of 6-4 and 9-2.

• Senior Hailee Gregerson was named the GNAC Softball Player of the Week after she batted .389 in six games, going 7 for 18 with seven runs, 10 RBI and four home runs. Gregerson opened the week by going 2 for 5 with the game-winning solo home run against Central Washington. She added a two-run shot in the second game. Gregerson hit a two-run homer in Saturday’s opener with Humboldt State. She went 2 for 3 with a two-run single in Sunday’s opener. Gregerson enters the week with a .304 batting average.

• Junior Brittanee Fisher batted .571 in the six games, going 8 for 14 with four runs, eight RBI and three home runs. Fisher went 2 for 3 with a pair of three-run homers in Monday’s opener with CWU. She added two hits in the nightcap. Fisher had three hits in Sunday’s doubleheader with Humboldt State, including a two-run homer in the opener. Fisher is 13th in the GNAC with a .362 batting average.

• Sophomore Alyssa Etheridge had both pitching wins last week. She won in relief against CWU on Monday, allowing two hits and a walk with three strikeouts in three innings. Etheridge then threw a one-hitter in Saturday’s 13-0, five-inning win, allowing one walk with three strikeouts. Etheridge enters the week with a 2-2 record and 5.47 earned run average.

• The Yellowjackets enter the week with a .290 batting average and a 7.06 earned run average. The team ranks ninth in Division II with 28 home runs.

• Montana State Billings heads west this weekend for a four-game GNAC series at Western Washington on Friday and Saturday.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene ended a 20-game season-opening homestand by taking three of four games from Western Oregon in a non-conference series. After losing Friday’s opener 3-0, the Nighthawks won the remaining three games by scores of 7-1, 8-0 (six innings) and 6-5 (10 innings).

• Sophomore Sidney Booth led the Nighthawks offensively with a .455 batting average, going 5 for 11 with three runs, four RBI, two doubles and a home run. She had two hits in each of Saturday’s games, which included a double in game one and a double and an RBI single in the second game. In the circle, Booth took the only loss of the week when she allowed three unearned runs on six hits with three strikeouts in Friday’s opener. Booth is second in the GNAC with a .491 batting average and leads the conference with a 7-1 record and 1.01 earned run average.

• Senior Jackie Vargas threw a two-hit shutout in Saturday’s game one 8-0 six-inning game, allowing one walk and striking out three. Senior Tori Hensley won the Friday nightcap by allowing one run on three hits and a walk with seven strikeouts to improve to 5-1 on the season. Hensley is seventh in the GNAC with a 2.60 earned run average while Vargas is eighth with a 2.62 earned run average.

• Senior Brittany Genuardi continues to lead the GNAC and ranks 26th in Division II with her .509 batting average. She batted .417 in the Western Oregon series with five hits, four runs, four RBI and a home run.

• The Nighthawks enter the week leading the GNAC and ranking fourth in Division II with a .387 batting average. They also lead the GNAC with a 2.47 earned run average. Northwest Nazarene leads Division II with a .489 on-base percentage.

• The Nighthawks received nine points in last week’s NFCA Division II Coaches Poll, the second straight week that NNU received votes.

• For the first time this season, NNU trades the home field for the road as the Nighthawks play a four-game series at Western Oregon on Friday and Saturday.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Saint Martin’s did not play last week. The Saints return to GNAC play this weekend, playing at Central Washington on Friday and Saturday.

• Saint Martin’s dropped all four games at Northwest Nazarene to open conference play on March 19 and 20. The Saints dropped both of the March 19 games, 9-1 (6 innings) and 8-4, and both March 20 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 the March 19 second game and batted 2 for 3 in both of the March 20 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 the March 19 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 the March 20 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 are second in Division II with 12 double plays turned.

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 Northwest Nazarene in a non-conference series rescheduled from February. The Wolves won the opener on Friday, 3-0, and dropped the second game, 7-1. Western Oregon lost both Saturday games, 8-0 (6 innings) and 6-5 (10 innings).

• Junior Reilly Tidwell was named the GNAC Softball Player of the Week after she threw the second no-hitter in the GNAC this season in Friday’s 3-0 opener. She allowed five walks and struck out four in the 15th no-hitter in WOU history and the first seven-inning no-hitter in the GNAC since 2019. Tidwell also threw three innings of relief in Saturday’s second game, allowing one hit and four walks while striking out four. Tidwell is fourth in the GNAC with a 1.93 earned run average.

• Senior Allyson Drury led Western Oregon offensively with a .400 average, going 4 for 10 with two runs and a double. She went 2 for 4 with a double in Friday’s victory and had single hits in Friday and Saturday’s second games. Drury enters the week with a .259 batting average.

• Junior Baylie Kehale went 3 for 6 in two games in the series. She went 2 for 2 in Friday’s second game with an RBI single and had a two-RBI single in Saturday’s second game.

• Western Oregon enters the week with a .215 batting average and a 4.30 earned run average.

• The Wolves and Nighthawks will square off again this week, this time in conference with a series on Friday and Saturday.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington did not play last week. The Vikings return to GNAC play by hosting Montana State Billings for a four-game series on Friday and Saturday.

• Western Washington opened its GNAC season by taking three of four games at Western Oregon on March 20 and 21. The Vikings took both ends of the Mar. 20 doubleheader, 8-0 (5 innings) and 3-0. The Vikings lost the Mar. 21 opener, 5-3, before taking the nightcap 10-0.

• Junior Kira Doan threw 14 innings of shutout ball for two of the three wins. In the March 20 second-game win, Doan allowed four hits and a walk while striking out six. In the Mar. 21 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 the March 20 opener with an RBI single and RBI double. She opened the March 21 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 fourth in the GNAC with a .471 batting average.

• Western Washington enters the week ranked second in the GNAC and 11th in Division II with a .357 batting average. The Vikings are second in the GNAC with a 2.50 earned run average. The Vikings are ninth in Division II with a .446 on-base percentage.

• Western Washington received 17 votes in last week’s NFCA Division II Coaches Poll.