ELLENSBURG, Wash. — Central Washington University softball opens Great Northwest Athletic Conference play with a four-game homestead against Montana State University Billings on Friday (March 11) and Saturday (March 12). Both doubleheaders are slated for a noon first pitch.
QUOTABLE
"This weekend starts a very important journey for us," CWU Head Coach Joe DiPietro said. "We're opening conference play at home and it's imperative that we get off to a good start. I'm hopeful that the girls will put together four well-played games and believe in themselves!"
SCOUTING MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
This weekend will be the Yellowjackets' first contests in 13 days. They currently sit at 6-12 on the season. Rain canceled the second day of MSUB's doubleheader at Western Oregon two weeks ago, then snow and field conditions at Avitus Group Stadium prevented the 'Jackets from hosting Simon Fraser last weekend.
Billings played 16 games in the first 16 days of the season prior to taking on Western Oregon. The 'Jackets fell 10-2 and 9-0 in Monmouth. Both games went the minimum five innings.
Brittanee Fisher leads the Yellowjackets in hitting with an average of .378. She has also posted an OPS of 1.315. Fisher leads MSUB in home runs (4) and walks (10). Sidney Pollard and Maycen O'Neal lead the 'Jackets with 14 runs batted in. As a team, MSUB is hitting .261, with 13 home runs and 77 runs batted in.
In the circle, MSUB holds a WHIP of 1.82 and an ERA of 4.37. Opponents are hitting .302 off the Yellowjackets' staff. Julia Qualteri leads MSUB with 38.1 innings pitched. She is 4-4 with an ERA of 3.65. Opponents are hitting .271 against Qualieri, for a WHIP of 1.67. She has thrown four complete games and struck out 33. Qualteri has made eight starts in 10 appearances. Alyssa Etheridge and Jenna Kister have each made four starts. Etheridge has made nine total appearances, while Kister has made eight. In 33.2 innings of work, Etheridge is 2-4 with an ERA of 2.70. Kister is 0-3, with an ERA of 8.40, over 20 innings.
THE WILDCATS
Central Washington split its four-game series with Northwest Nazarene University last weekend. The Wildcats recorded a pair of comeback wins on Friday, 9-8 and 7-6, before dropping a pair on Saturday, 6-3 and 6-2.
Ashlee Laver (1-2) nabbed her first win of the season after throwing 4.2 innings of shutout relief in the opener. She allowed just three hits and struck out three. The Wildcats utilized a six-run fifth inning to overtake the Nighthawks.
A four-run fourth and three-run seventh lifted in the Wildcats in game two. Alyssa Benthagen walked the Wildcats off, lacing a pitch into right center for a single and the game-winning RBI.
In game three, a three-run first inning gave the Nighthawks a bit of breathing room. Sidney Booth (7-3) went the distance for NNU. Ashlee Laver (1-3) was charged with the loss for the Wildcats.
The Nighthawks needed just one inning of offense in the final game of the series. A six-run second inning lift NNU over CWU.
Allie Thiessen leads the CWU offense with an average of .383. She also leads the 'Cats in OPS (.944), SLG (.489), and OBP (.455). Thiessen is second on the Wildcats with 10 RBI.
Benthagen leads the CWU offense in runs driven in with 12. She has the only two big flies of the season for Central. Harlee Carpenter leads her squad with a dozen runs scored. Myiah Seaton has swiped a team-high six bases.
Rhaney Harris leads the Wildcats' pitching staff. She has made six starts in eight appearances. Over 44.1 innings, Harris is 2-5 with an ERA of 3.32. She has posted a WHIP of 1.60 and an average against of 3.14. The senior has struck out 28 hitters and walked just 10. Isabel Womack has kept hitters to an average of .213. She has a 3-2 record in seven appearances, five of which have been starts. Central has a team ERA of 4.37 and an average against of .321.
