BILLINGS, Mont. – Coming off of a big series win this past week, the Western Oregon University softball team will hit the road this week going to Montana to face Montana State Billings in Great Northwest Athletic Conference action this Saturday and Sunday.
WOU had a weekend to remember against Northwest Nazarene with the Wolves winning the first day in comeback fashion. In the opener, WOU came back from a late 3-1 deficit to take the 4-3 win. During game two, the Wolves rallied from down 6-0 to win 13-9 in 11 innings following Chandler Bishop's walk-off grand slam. On the final day, WOU got a strong seven inning complete game effort from Reilly Tidwell to take the 5-1 win in game three before the Nighthawks won the final game of the series, 8-2. NNU came into the series receiving votes in the NFCA National Poll.
It was a big week for Bishop as she was named the NFCA National Player of the Week, becoming the first in WOU program history to take home the honor. She was also named the GNAC Player of the Week.
WOU is 8-8 overall and 4-4 in GNAC play, currently fourth in the conference standings just behind the three teams in front of them. Western Washington holds the top spot at 6-2, followed by Northwest Nazarene and Central Washington both at 5-3.
Bishop leads the team with a .348 batting average, collecting eight hits, three home runs, a double, four runs scored and 11 RBI. She adds a .783 slugging percentage and a 1.168 OPS (on-base, plus slugging). Bishop leads the Wolves in RBI, slugging and on-base percentage, while tying for the team lead in home runs. Bella Valdes is hitting .318 with seven hits, a double and three RBI. She also has a stolen base. Sydney Bowers is hitting .282 and had a clutch hit in game two coming through with the game-tying RBI single in the 10th with two outs to keep the game going. She leads the team with 11 hits, five runs scored, a triple, two home runs and four RBI. Zoie Recolan adds nine hits, three doubles and three RBI. Kirah McGlothan is tied with Bishop for the team lead in home runs with three. She is also second on the team to Bishop in RBI with nine. McGlothan has 10 hits, five runs scored and four doubles on the year. Baylie Kahele is hitting .350 with seven hits and three RBI. Erica Soliz had a big two-run single over the weekend and is off to a .500 average. Hannah Stewart drove in three runs and had a couple of big hits against NNU and has eight hits on the season with two doubles and four RBI. Aleya Turner has tallied seven hits so far this year. Kiley Lynn and Allyson Drury added home runs against NNU. As a team, WOU is hitting .230 with 93 hits, 16 doubles, two triples, 10 home runs and 44 RBI.
In the circle, Tidwell leads the team with a 1.82 ERA in 34.2 innings of work. She has appeared in eight games that includes five stats, going 2-2 with 23 strikeouts. Tidwell is among the national leaders in limiting teams with runners in scoring position (RISP) as she is currently fourth in all of NCAA Division II holding teams to a .114 average with RISP. Soliz is 1-0 in 15 innings of work this season posting a 3.27 ERA and nine strikeouts to just one walk. Bishop has thrown 19 innings this year in four starts. Nicki Derrick is 2-1 in 14.1 innings pitched this year. Maddie Mayer has a win in seven appearances, logging 18.2 innings and 11 strikeouts. Jada Young is 2-1 in 11.2 innings of work and adds 10 strikeouts. As a staff, WOU has a 4.26 ERA in 113.1 innings of work, collecting 66 strikeouts.
WOU ranks in the top-three in the GNAC and high nationally in several categories including first in the GNAC and 26th nationally in fielding percentage (.971), second in the GNAC and 18th nationally in double plays turned (9) and second in the GNAC and eighth nationally in double plays turned per game (0.56), third in the GNAC in home runs per game (0.62), second in the GNAC and 68th nationally in total sacrifice bunts (12). Third in the GNAC in triples per game (0.12), third in the GNAC in WHIP (1.84) and third in the GNAC in win-loss percentage (.500).
Individually, Tidwell is fourth in the GNAC and 98th nationally in ERA (1.82), sixth in the GNAC in complete games (3) and third in the GNAC and 64th nationally in hits allowed per seven innings (5.05). Bishop is fifth in the GNAC and 102nd nationally in home runs per game (0.25). Drury leads the GNAC in both hit-by-pitch (4) and hit-by-pitch per game (0.25), ranking her 98th nationally and 90th nationally, respectively.
Montana State Billings is 6-18 overall and 2-6 in GNAC play. They hold a 5-7 record at home. This past week, the Yellowjackets traveled to Bellingham and played a tripleheader during the first day going 1-2. Western Washington won the finale, 2-0. Although MSU Billings went 1-3 in the series, they held the Vikings to just 12 runs in the four games.
Sidney Pollard leads the team with a .380 average tallying 19 hits, two home runs and 10 RBI. Brittanee Fisher is hitting .345 with 20 hits, two doubles, seven home runs and 20 RBI. Allie Hughes adds a .313 average with 20 hits, three doubles, six home runs and 18 RBI. As a team, the 'Jackets are hitting .279 with 176 hits, 28 doubles, three triples, 30 home runs and 103 RBI.
In the circle, Alyssa Etheridge is 2-4 in 51.2 innings holding a 4.88 ERA. Jenna Kister is 2-4 in 37.2 innings with a 5.20 ERA and Julia Qualteri is 2-6 with a 6.82 ERA in 38 innings of work. Haley Couch has also started a few games pitching 22.2 innings. As a staff, the 'Jackets have a 6.35 ERA in 150 innings and have 87 strikeouts.
WOU holds a 36-33 series record since 2003 going 10-18 in Billings and 24-8 in Monmouth. The teams played two games last year before the season was halted with WOU taking both by scores of 4-0 and 4-2. The Wolves have won the past four games in the series, with the last win for MSU Billings coming in a neutral site game in Modesto in 2019. During the last meetings in Billings in 2017, the 'Jackets won three of four.
WOU and MSU Billings will open their four-game GNAC series this Saturday with a doubleheader starting at 10 a.m. (Pacific). Saturday's game times were moved up two hours from an original scheduled time of 12 p.m. (Pacific) with the possibility of weather in the forecast later in the day. The teams will play another doubleheader on Sunday starting at 11 a.m. (Pacific).
Live video will be available during the series and can be found here
Live stats will be available during the series and can be found here.
