MONMOUTH, Ore. – It will be a familiar foe for the Western Oregon University softball team when they welcome in Northwest Nazarene to Monmouth for a four-game series this Friday and Saturday. The only change will be that these games will count as Great Northwest Athletic Conference games.
Although Northwest Nazarene took three of four from the Wolves this past week in Nampa, WOU could have easily left with a 2-2 series split. The finale went right down to the wire, reaching extra innings before the Nighthawks came away with the 6-5 win in 10 innings. Earlier in the series, Reilly Tidwell started things off right for WOU when she threw the 15th no-hitter in program history. Tidwell was named the GNAC Pitcher of the Week for her efforts.
WOU enters this week 5-7 overall and 1-3 in GNAC play, going 4-4 at home so far this year. Tidwell leads the pitching staff with a 1.93 ERA in 25.1 innings and is 1-2 on the year in six appearances that has included three starts. She also has posted a team-best 15 strikeouts and has a pair of complete games. Erica Soliz made her debut in the circle this past weekend throwing four innings and holds a 3.50 ERA. She tallied two strikeouts and no walks. Nicki Derrick (4.32) and Chandler Bishop (4.42) are next on the team in ERA with Derrick going 2-0 this season in 11.1 innings and Bishop has tossed 19 innings and is 0-1 with a complete game. Jada Young is 2-1 in 11.2 innings and Maddie Mayer has thrown 10 innings in six appearances this season. As a staff, WOU has a 4.30 ERA in 81.1 innings, along with 47 strikeouts.
At the plate, Zoie Recolan leads the team with a .281 average collecting nine hits, three doubles and three RBI. Kirah McGlothan adds a .276 average with three doubles, two home runs and five RBI. Allyson Drury has a .256 average with seven hits and a double. Off the bench, Karly Tiedeman still has a perfect 1.000 average with a double earlier this season. Baylie Kahele is hitting .400 with four hits and three RBI. Sophie Franklin adds a .333 average with an RBI and Aleya Turner is a .318 with seven hits, a double and an RBI. As a team, WOU is hitting .215 with 64 hits, 12 doubles, a triple, three home runs and 21 RBI.
The strong defense in turning double plays this season has WOU ranked second in the GNAC in both double plays turned overall (8) and double players turned per game (0.67). The Wolves rank 27th and ninth nationally in both categories.
Individually, Tidwell is fourth in the GNAC in ERA (1.93) and second in the GNAC and 57th nationally in hits allowed per seven innings (4.70).
Northwest Nazarene is 17-3 overall and 4-0 in GNAC play. The game that WOU won to open the series last week snapped an eight-game winning streak for the Nighthawks. This will be the first road trip of the season for NNU having played the first 20 games in Nampa. The Nighthawks enter the week once again receiving votes in the latest NFCA Poll.
Brittany Genuardi is hitting .500 to lead the way, collecting seven doubles, four home runs and 21 RBI. Sidney Booth adds a .491 average with five doubles, two triples, four home runs and 18 RBI. Abigail Gagnon is third with a .459 average, tallying four doubles, two home runs and 12 RBI. As a team, NNU is hitting .387 with 208 hits, 39 doubles, four triples, 21 home runs and 138 RBI.
In the circle, Booth leads the way with a 1.01 ERA in 55.2 innings. She is 7-1 with 74 strikeouts, as her only loss on the season was to the Wolves last week in Tidwell's no-hitter. Tori Hensley has the next most innings (37.2) and starts (5) to Booth, going 5-1 with a 2.60 ERA. As a staff, the Nighthawks have a 2.47 ERA in 133 innings, collecting 129 strikeouts.
WOU has gone 66-28 in the series since 2002, including a 24-9 record at home. Over the past 10 games, NNU holds a 7-3 record.
In order to ensure the health and safety of the student-athletes, coaches, officials and staff, and to provide the best opportunity to complete the spring seasons, spectators will not be allowed for regular-season home events at GNAC institutions for the remainder of the 2020-21 academic year. Additionally, spectators will not be allowed at the GNAC's spring championships. Live video and stats will be available for the games.
WOU and NNU will open their four-game GNAC series on Friday with a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. Live video can be found here and live stats can be found here.
