Thursday, March 2, 2023

No matter where GNAC teams went last week or are going this week, inclement weather has made the task of playing softball a difficult one.

All four originally scheduled non-conference series last week between GNAC teams were canceled due to a combination of snow and freezing temperatures. Central Washington and Northwest Nazarene made snow cones out of the snow, so to speak, and quickly scheduled a four-game series in Nampa.

But even that series was hampered by weather as Central Washington was delayed in its travel over the passes to the Treasure Valley. When games did get played it ended in a split with the Nighthawks winning Saturday’s games, 1-0 and 6-3, and the Wildcats winning on Monday, 14-6 and 5-4.

Western Washington and Simon Fraser opened last week with games in Hawaii. The Vikings closed a six-game trip to Oahu on Monday with a split against Chaminade, losing the opener 6-5 before winning the nightcap 4-2 in nine innings.

Simon Fraser lost all four of its Hawaii games, dropping 7-2 and 5-2 decisions to Chaminade on Tuesday and 9-3 and 3-2 games to Hawaii Pacific on Thursday.

In this coming week of non-conference games between GNAC teams, weather will again be a factor in scheduling. A scheduled doubleheader between Western Washington and Simon Fraser on Sunday in Burnaby has been canceled due to snow. The Red Leafs’ doubleheader at Saint Martin’s has been shifted to Monday while the Saints will host the Vikings on Monday.

Northwest Nazarene will host Western Oregon and Central Washington will host Montana State Billings. Both four-game series are scheduled for Friday and Saturday.

THIS WEEK'S GNAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
PLAYER
Cassidy Affeldt, Simon Fraser
IF/P • 5-7 • Freshman • Mission, B.C.

Affeldt led the offensive production for Simon Fraser in its four games in Hawaii, going 4 for 7 with two runs, a double, a home run and three RBIs. She also drew six walks for a .769 on base percentage. Affeldt went 2 for 2 with a double and a run scored in Tuesday’s 5-2 loss at Chaminade. Her two-run homer accounted for all of SFU’s runs in Thursday’s 3-2 loss to Hawaii Pacific.

Also Nominated: Harlee Carpenter (Central Washington), Emily Paulson (Western Washington).

PITCHER
Sidney Booth, Northwest Nazarene
P/UT • 5-4 • Junior • Puyallup, Wash.

Booth earned the win in Saturday’s 1-0 shutout of Central Washington in the first game of the doubleheader between the two teams. In 5.1 innings, she allowed two hits and one walk and struck out seven for her third win of the season.

Also Nominated: Isabel Womack (Central Washington), Shaneika Hollingworth (Simon Fraser), Hanako Hirai (Western Washington).

AROUND THE GNAC
CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington split a weekend non-conference doubleheader at Northwest Nazarene. The Wildcats dropped both games on Saturday, 1-0 and 6-3, and won both games on Monday, 14-6 (five innings) and 5-4.

• Sophomore Hannah Hvitved led the CWU offense with a .500 average, batting 6 for 12 with three runs, two doubles and an RBI. She had a hit in each game of the series, going 2 for 4 with an RBI single in Monday’s opener and 2 for 3 with a double and a run in the nightcap. Hvitved is batting .500 in seven games this season.

• Senior Alyssa Benthagen batted .417 in the four games, going 5 for 12 with two runs and a home run. Benthagen went 2 for 3 with a run scored in Monday’s opener and went 2 for 3 in the second game, which included a three-run homer in the first inning. Benthagen enters the week with a .345 batting average.

• Senior Isabel Womack went 1-1 in two starts in the series. She took the loss in Saturday’s 1-0 defeat, allowing one unearned run on three hits with five walks and six strikeouts. She was the winner in Monday’s opener, allowing six runs, five earned, on six hits and six walks with four strikeouts. Womack is 3-3 on the season and owns a 3.61 ERA. She ranks 21st in Division II with two shutouts.

• Central Washington owns a .279 team batting average and 3.97 ERA.

• Central Washington is scheduled to host Montana State Billings for a four-game non-conference series on Friday and Saturday.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Montana State Billings saw its four-game series last weekend against Saint Martin’s canceled due to inclement weather. The Yellowjackets are scheduled to play a four-game series at Central Washington on Friday and Saturday.

• The Yellowjackets last played on Feb. 18 and 19, going 3-1 at the Minot State Bubble Invite. The wins included a 6-2 victory over Minot State, a 6-5 defeat of Providence (Mont.) and a 4-1 defeat of Bemidji State.

• Sophomore Lauren Blaschak led MSUB offensively in the Bubble Invite with a .455 batting average, going 5 for 11 with three runs and three RBIs. Blaschak scored two runs and drew two walks against Minot State and then went 3 for 4 with a two-RBI double in the Feb. 18 to Carroll (Mont.). She added a hit in both of the Feb. 19 wins. Blaschak is sixth in the GNAC with a .412 batting average and fourth with a .647 slugging percentage and .500 on-base percentage.

• Senior Shelby Marquardt and freshman Teagan Seeton both batted .385 in the tournament. Marquardt opened the tourney by going 3 for 4 with two RBIs and a double against Minot State. Seeton went 2 for 3 with a run scored against Carroll (Mont.) and 2 for 4 with a two-RBI double against Providence (Mont.). Seeton is eighth in the GNAC with a .367 batting average while Marquardt enters the week with a .323 batting average.

• Senior Alyssa Etheridge went 2-0  and a save in North Dakota with a 1.40 ERA, allowing just three runs in 15 innings. She earned the complete-game win against Minot State, allowing two runs on five hits with four strikeouts. She threw one inning for the save against Providence (Mont.) before allowing one run on eight hits with seven strikeouts for the win over Bemidji State. Etheridge is eighth in the GNAC with a 3.20 ERA and is second with her four wins.

• The Yellowjackets own a .260 team batting average and a 5.55 earned run average. They rank second in the GNAC with 11 home runs.

• Montana State Billings is scheduled to play a four-game non-conference series at Central Washington on Friday and Saturday.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene split last week’s non-conference series with Central Washington. The Nighthawks won both games on Saturday, 1-0 and 6-3, and lost both games on Monday, 14-6 (five innings) and 5-4.

• Junior Sidney Booth was named the GNAC Softball Pitcher of the Week for her win in Saturday’s opener. She allowed just two hits and a walk while striking out seven in 5.1 innings of work. She took the first-game loss on Monday, allowing six runs, five earned, on seven hits and two walks with two strikeouts in two innings. Booth is currently seventh in the GNAC with a .317 ERA and is tied for 28th in Division II with eight starts.

• Junior Madison Felter batted .364 in the four-series, going 4 for 11 with two doubles and two RBI. Felter opened Saturday’s second game with a sacrifice fly to score the game’s first run. She went 2 for 3 in Monday’s opener with an RBI single and had a hit in the nightcap. Felter enters the week with a .231 batting average.

• Senior Tori Hensley batted .333 in the series, going 4 for 12 with a run and two RBI. Hensley had an RBI single in Saturday’s second game and closed the series by going 2 for 4 with an RBI single in Monday’s nightcap. She also went 1-1 in the circle, earning the win in Saturday’s second game by allowing three runs on six hits with two walks and three strikeouts. Hensley is batting .310 on the season and ranks fourth in the GNAC with a 2.60 ERA.

• Northwest Nazarene enters the week with a .197 batting average and is third in the GNAC with a 3.19 ERA.

• The Nighthawks continue a 12-game homestand this week, hosting Western Oregon for a four-game non-conference series on Friday and Saturday.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Saint Martin’s saw all six of its games last week canceled due to inclement weather. That included a doubleheader at Hawaii Pacific on Feb. 20 and a four-game non-conference series at Montana State Billings on Feb. 25 and 26.

• The Saints last played on Feb. 18 and 19, splitting four games on Oahu. Saint Martin’s lost the Feb. 18 opener with Hawaii Hilo, 8-2, before winning the nightcap 4-3. The Saints then dropped a 9-2 decision to Chaminade on Feb. 19 before winning the second game 8-0 (five innings).

• Freshman Haley Agena led SMU in Hawaii with a .571 batting average, going 8 for 14 with a double, a triple two runs and two RBIs. Agena went 2 for 3 with an RBI double in the opener against Hawaii Hilo before going 2 for 4 in the nightcap. She then had two hits in each game against Chaminade, scoring a run in the nightcap. Agena currently leads the GNAC with a .500 batting average.

• Sophomore Chloe Leverington earned a win and a save in three appearances in the circle. Leverington earned the save in the second game against Hawaii Hilo, allowing one walk in one inning. She went the distance for the five-inning win against Chaminade, allowing six hits and striking out two. Leverington enters the week with a 5.04 ERA. Her two saves rank fifth in Division II.

• Saint Martin’s enters the week with a .271 batting average and a 3.28 ERA, ranking fourth in the GNAC in both categories. The Saints rank fourth in Division II with 0.67 double plays per game, 23rd with six double plays turned and 28th with 1.89 doubles per game.

• Weather issues have also forced issues with Saint Martin’s schedule this week. The Saints will host Simon Fraser on Sunday and Western Washington on Monday.

SIMON FRASER
• Simon Fraser dropped all four of its games last week in Hawaii. The Red Leafs lost to Chaminade 7-2 and 5-2 on Tuesday and fell 9-3 and 3-2 to Hawaii Pacific on Thursday.

• Freshman Cassidy Affeldt was named the GNAC Softball Player of the Week after she batted .571 in the four games, going 4 for 7 with two runs, a double, a home run and three RBIs. She also drew six walks for a .769 on-base percentage. Affeldt went 2 for 2 with a double and a run scored in the 5-2 loss at Chaminade. Her two-run homer accounted for all of SFU’s runs in the  3-2 loss to Hawaii Pacific. Affeldt is fourth in the GNAC with a .455 batting average and is third with 20 hits.

• Sophomore Abby McGlynn batted .429 in the four games, going 6 for 14 with three runs, two doubles and two triples. She did most of her damage against Hawaii Pacific, going 3 for 3 with a double and a triple in the opener and 1 for 4 with a run scored in the nightcap. McGlynn is second in the GNAC with a .474 batting average. She ranks 10th in Division II with three triples.

• Sophomore Shaneika Hollingworth led SFU in the circle with a 2.10 ERA in two appearances. She took the close loss in the second game against Hawaii Pacific, allowing three runs on six hits with a walk and two strikeouts. Hollingworth enters the week with a 5.04 ERA.

• Simon Fraser leads the GNAC and ranks 25th in Division II with a .334 batting average. The Red Leafs are fourth in Division II with 50 stolen bases, sixth with 3.33 stolen bases per game and 26th with 144 hits.

• Simon Fraser has seen its weekend games shifted due to inclement weather. A scheduled Sunday home doubleheader with Western Washington has been canceled. The Red Leafs will instead play a doubleheader at Saint Martin’s on Sunday.

WESTERN OREGON
• Western Oregon saw its scheduled four-game series against Central Washington last week canceled due to inclement weather.

• The Wolves last played at the Cactus Classic in Tucson, Arizona, going 3-2 in the tournament. The weekend included a win over Franklin Pierce, 9-1 (five innings), on Feb. 17, and two wins over Minn.-Crookston, 11-5 on Feb. 17 and 6-2 (six innings) on Feb. 19.

• Junior Natalie Willoughby batted .500 in the five games to lead the Wolves, going 6 for 15 with two runs, two doubles and three RBIs. Willoughby went 2 for 2 with an RBI single against Franklin Pierce and 3 for 5 in the first game against Minn.-Crookston with an RBI single. Willoughby is batting .350 for the season.

• Junior Katelyn McGough batted .333 at the Cactus Classic, going 5 for 15 with six runs, a double, a home run and one RBI. McGough went 2 for 3 with two runs and a double against Franklin Pierce. She ended the tournament by going 1 for 1 and scoring the final run on a stolen base and an error in the final win over Minn.-Crookston. McGough enters the week with a .267 batting average.

• Senior Chelsea Smith went 2-1 in three appearances in the circle. She went the distance for the win against Franklin Pierce, allowing one run on two hits with 10 strikeouts. She also went five innings against Minn.-Crookston on Feb. 19, allowing two runs, one earned, on five hits with four walks and six strikeouts.

• Western Oregon enters the week with a .234 batting average and is second in the GNAC with a 2.74 ERA. The Wolves lead the conference with a .970 fielding percentage. They are tied for 18th in Division II with 59 walks and 30th with 12 batters hit by pitch.

• Western Oregon will head east to Nampa, Idaho for a four-game non-conference series with Northwest Nazarene on Friday and Saturday.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington last played on Feb. 20, splitting a doubleheader at Chaminade. The Vikings dropped the opener 6-5 and won the night 4-2 (nine innings).

• A scheduled four-game non-conference series between Western Washington and Northwest Nazarene in Bellingham was canceled due to inclement weather

• Sophomore McKenna Crum went 3 for 7 with two RBIs in the doubleheader to lead the Vikings, batting 2 for 3 with an RBI single in the opener and going 1 for 4 with an RBI single in the nightcap. Crum enters the week with a .259 batting average.

• Senior Kinzey Williams went 3 for 9 in the two games. Batting in the leadoff spot in the lineup, Williams went 2 for 4 with a run scored in the opener and had an RBI single in the nightcap. Williams is 10th in the GNAC with a .348 batting average.

• Junior Hanako Hirai earned the pitching win in relief in the second game, allowing just one walk and striking out one in three innings. She entered in relief of freshman Alexis Slater, who allowed two runs on four hits with two walks and two strikeouts in six innings.

• Western Washington leads in the GNAC with a 2.21 ERA and ranks second with a .280 batting average.

• Thanks to inclement weather, Western Washington will play just one doubleheader this week, traveling to Saint Martin’s on Monday.