ELLENSBURG, Wash. – The Central Washington University softball will welcome the 24th-ranked Northwest Nazarene Nighthawks for a four-game nonconference series this Friday and Saturday.
For Friday's games parking enforcement does enforce the two paved parking lots closest to Gary & Bobbi Frederick Field (lots V-18 and V-22) unless you purchase a visitor pass
HERE, but the dirt parking lots X-22 and X-23 are free to park and are not enforced by parking enforcement. There is also free street parking along East 18th Avenue.
To view a full campus parking map click
HERE
GAME INFORMATION
Friday, February 23 & Saturday, February 24
Noon & 2:00 p.m.
Central Washington vs. #24 Northwest Nazarene
Gary & Bobbi Frederick Field
Ellensburg, Wash.
WATCH LIVE STATS
QUOTING HEAD COACH JOE DIPIETRO
"We'll be tested this weekend against a very good NNU team. They're well-coached and are very aggressive. We'll face one of the top pitchers in the league in Sidney Booth, so we need to be ready."
LAST OUTING
The Wildcats are coming off a home-opening split against the 24th-ranked NAIA Eastern Oregon Mountaineers. The Wildcats took game one 6-0 before their comeback in game two was rebuffed in a 4-3 setback. The Wildcats and Mountaineers were set to duke it out on Sunday, but due to the weather the games were unfortunately canceled.
In game one,
Ashlee Laver pitched a beautiful shutout game only allowing two hits and three walks while striking out seven against 25 batters. The first triple of the season for CWU came from
Laney Kaysner who in the process drove in three runs while Laver doubled to right center driving in two runs to firmly cement the victory.
In game two,
Payton Kessler pitched the full seven innings allowing seven hits, four runs, and one walk while striking out six against 30 batters.
Alyssa Benthagen put the 'Cats on the board in the first inning with a single to right field to score Kaysner, but the Mountaineers would rattle off four runs to take the 4-1 lead into the bottom of the seventh inning.
Jillian Hampson would start the 'Cats comeback with a single to the second baseman scoring
Brooke Jordan followed by
Brooke Blocker sacrificing herself to the second baseman to score
Cady Wilton, but the 'Cats comeback would fall just short 4-3.
For their performances last weekend Laver and Kaysner earned the GNAC Pitcher and Player of the Week.
SCOUTING THE NIGHTHAWKS
NNU has started their season off 6-1. They opened their season at the Concordia Kickoff Classic where they defeated Stanislaus State 3-2, Dominican (Calif.) 3-2 in eight innings, and Cal State Dominguez Hills 2-1. They had two games at Azusa Pacific and one each against 21st-ranked Colorado Christian and at 7th-ranked Cal State San Marcos canceled due to the weather. They resumed action in a rematch of the regional final last season with a two-game series at Concordia Irvine winning game one 6-1 but falling in game two 3-2. In their home-opening series on Tuesday, they swept the College of Idaho 8-5 and 9-2.
The Nighthawks have three batters with over a .400 batting average led by Ava Clark batting .474. Clarissa Moreno (.462) and Emma Bumatay (.435) are the other two Nighthawks with over a .400 batting average.
Moreno has led NNU in hits and doubles in the young season with 12 hits and five doubles in 26 at-bats. The Nighthawks have hit four home runs this season with Abigail Gagnon earning two and Moreno and Bumatay each drilling one. Gagnon leads the Nighthawks in RBI with seven on the season. Moreno and Sidney Booth have each drawn four walks. Collectively, the Nighthawks have stolen 13 bases on 16 attempts with Clark leading the way with three successful stolen bases.
Booth has continued to be stellar in the circle for the Nighthawks pitching 34.1 innings and earning a 5-0 record and three complete games pitched in the process. Booth currently owns a 1.43 ERA allowing 14 hits, nine runs seven of which are earned, nine walks, 29 strikeouts, and three home runs allowed against 119 batters. Joining Booth in the circle has been Charlotte Forniss who has 16.2 innings pitched under her belt this season. Forniss has accumulated a 1-1 record, two complete games, one save, and a 2.10 ERA. She has allowed 18 hits, seven runs five of which are earned, nine walks, and one home run while striking out three.
UP NEXT
The Wildcats will dive into GNAC play heading to Western Oregon (5-7) for a four-game series on Saturday, March 2, and Sunday, March 3. First-pitch is set for 11:00 a.m. both days with game two to follow approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of game one.
