ELLENSBURG, Wash. – The Central Washington University softball team (17-28, GNAC 12-12) will be heading up north to take on the top-seed in the GNAC Tournament the Northwest Nazarene Nighthawks (37-8, GNAC 20-4).
To go to the GNAC Tournament central click
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GAME INFORMATION
Thursday, May 2
(4 Seed) Central Washington vs. (1 Seed) Northwest Nazarene
2:30 p.m.
Viking Field
Bellingham, Washington
WATCH LIVE STATS
QUOTING HEAD COACH JOE DIPIETRO
"The team is excited to be a part of the GNAC Championships this week. It has been a long season of many ups and downs, but now we all start even. Hopefully, we'll play well, give our best efforts, and do our best to bring a championship back to CWU."
LAST WEEK
The Wildcats went 2-2 this past weekend against the Simon Fraser.
On day one the Wildcats stepped up to the plate and took over the playing field. In game one the Cats' won 4-3 scoring four runs in one inning which really changed the pace of the game.
Jillian Hampson singled to left field which allowed
Karsyn Decker and Sarah Perez to score. Then
Sasha Mitchell smashed one to left field letting Hampson and
Makenna King to run home. In game two the Cats' won 2-1 with singles from
Alyssa Benthagen and Mitchell helped score Mitchell and
Makenna King to secure a spot in the GNAC Tournament for CWU.
Day two the Red Leafs took over winning the first game 3-1 as
Laney Kaysner smashed one up the middle allowing
Brooke Jordan to run home. The Cats' fought hard but the Red Leafs won 1-0 in the second game scoring in the top of the seventh.
LAST MATCHUP
CWU and NNU have met twice this season with NNU sweeping the 'Cats in Ellensburg in a nonconference series. The two teams met once again in a conference series down in Nampa, Idaho with NNU winning the series 3-1.
SCOUTING THE NIGHTHAWKS
Northwest Nazarene won its fourth consecutive GNAC regular-season title and holds the No. 1 seed in the GNAC Tournament.
NNU has three players with a batting average over .300. Abigail Gagnon is the leader for the Nighthawks with an average of .346. Right behind Gagnon is Clarissa Moreno with an average of .341. The final one in the pack is Emma Mulligan with an average of .320.
NNU leads the GNAC in their pitching with a combined ERA of 1.99. NNU's top pitcher is Sidney Booth with an ERA of 1.32, 153.2 innings pitched, 96 hits, 34 runs, and struck out 162 of 547 batters faced. Gina Skinner is the other half of NNU's top pitchers with an ERA of 1.42, 103.2 innings pitched, 87 hits, 27 runs, and struck out 39 out of 398 at bats.
The Nighthawks are ranked number 2 in the GNAC for batting. Combined the team has a .275 batting average, 1220 at bats, 208 runs, 335 hits, 192 RBIs, and lastly 31 homeruns.
UP NEXT
The winner of this game will advance in the GNAC Tournament to face in the winner of Saint Martin's and Western Washington at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, May 3. The loser of the game will face the loser of the SMU, WWU game in an elimination, loser out game on Friday at 12:30 p.m.
