Softball | 3/8/2017 2:25:00 PM

ELLENSBURG, Wash. – The Central Washington University softball team (7-4, 0-0 GNAC) begins its 2017 Great Northwest Athletic Conference title defense this week when it opens GNAC play against Northwest Nazarene (7-10, 0-0 GNAC) on Friday, Mar. 10 and Saturday, Mar. 11.
 
Due to poor conditions at Gary and Bobbi Frederick Field, the four-game set between CWU and NNU will take place at Carlon Park in Selah, Wash. -- 300 E Goodlander Rd, Selah, WA 98942
 
The Crusaders have had nearly two week since their last set of games, dropping a twinbill against Eastern Oregon 5-8 and 4-7.
 
Brittany Genuardi and Kylie Orr pace the Crusader offense, combining to drive in 35 of NNU's 77 runs on the season, and eight of the team's 10 homeruns.  Cassidy Fifield sets the table for the big bats, hitting .340 on the season, scoring 18 runs and swiping 12 of 13 bases in 2017.
 
Dating back to 2002, when CWU and NNU met for the first time, the Wildcats hold a 67-12 all-time record over the Crusaders, with a 5-0 mark on neutral ground.  In 2016, the teams split their season series 2-2 in Nampa, Idaho.
 
Kailyn Campbell swings the hottest stick for the Wildcats coming into the weekend, holding a .475 batting average and has recorded 19 hits.  Campbell became the Wildcats new career hits leader with her first hit of 2017.  She has now totaled 225 hits in her career.
 
Campbell also leads the team in runs scored with 15, due in large part to the batting of cleanup hitter Jacie McDaniels.  McDaniels leads the club in RBI with 18, and is tied with Campbell for the GNAC lead in homeruns per game at .36.
 
Kiana Wood will see action in the circle for the Wildcats, her first appearance in a game in exactly a month.  Wood, the reigning GNAC Pitcher of the Year is 2-0 on the season and holds a 3.21 ERA, and has yet to give up more than two earned runs in a game in six appearances.
 
Kayla Smith will also be handed the ball as a starter for the Wildcats and will take a 1.65 ERA into the weekend, which is tops in the GNAC.  Smith is 3-4 on the season and is holding opposing hitters to just a .248 batting average.
 
All four games in Selah will have live stats that can be found here.