By: Lindsey Knight, GNAC Digital Media Assistant

ELLENSBURG, Wash. – Day two of the GNAC Softball Championships at Frederick Field featured another upset by the lowest-seeded #4 Simon Fraser Red Leafs to send them to the championship game, along with a come-from-behind win by #2 Western Washington over #1 Saint Martin’s to set up a rematch of the 2025 GNAC Softball championship game.
 
GAME ONE: #4 Simon Fraser 9, #2 Western Washington 5 | Box Score
 
The first game of the day opened as a back-and-forth battle between the two-seeded Vikings and the four-seeded Simon Fraser Red Leafs. The Vikings would strike first after a scoreless first inning as Laila Carpenter would cash in on an RBI single to put the Vikings on the board. The lead was not long lived though, as the Red Leafs would answer right back in the top of the third after a dropped ball in the outfield would allow two runners to score and give them the 2-1 lead. Western Washington quickly reclaimed their one-run lead in the bottom of the inning after GNAC Newcomer of the Year EmmaJoy Wise hit a two-out single to score two. The Vikings tacked on another run in the following inning after a misthrow to first base from the Red Leafs to bring the score to 4-2 in the Vikings’ favor. Vikings freshman ace Alanna Wirtala held the Red Leafs to just three hits and didn’t allow an earned run through the first four innings.
 
Wirtala could not hold the dangerous Red Leaf offense down forever. Ella Booth led off the top of the fifth with a single, followed by a first pitch shot dead center over the outfield wall from yesterday’s grand slam hero Cassidy Affeldt to quickly even the score at four. Sophomore Rae Bates singled later in the inning to score Anika Janzen from second to take the lead. The Red Leafs would tack on two more to extend the lead to 7-4 off a Grace McMillan double to right field before the inning was over.
 
Monica Bourque went to work after her team’s offensive outburst, allowing just two base runners in the fifth and sixth innings to hold the Vikings at four runs. The Red Leafs added two insurance runs in the top of the seventh off a series of singles and a fielding error by the Vikings, giving them the 9-4 commanding lead. Western Washington threatened in its final chance in the seventh, scoring one in the midst of three fielding errors by the Red Leafs, but were unable to overcome the deficit, giving the Simon Fraser Red Leafs another tournament upset and the win 9-5.
 
“The team came out ready to play right from the get-go… we’re just waiting to peak at the right time, and it’s a lot of fun.” spoke Simon Fraser head coach Stacy Fournier on how her team has been performing in the tournament. The Red Leafs entered the tournament losing their last seven of eight games, three of those losses to Western Washington, but chose the right time to get hot in the post season.
 
“Just buying into that we can win any game and against any team,” says Red Leafs’ pitcher Bourque. “I have so much trust in our offense and our defense, and I know that we’ll come back no matter how many runs they put up.”
 
The #4 seed Simon Fraser Red Leafs punched their ticket to championship Saturday with the win, their second year in a row reaching the championship game.
   

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GAME TWO: #1 Saint Martin’s 9, #3 Northwest Nazarene 7 | Box Score
 
The loser-out afternoon game featured the #1 seed Saint Martin’s Saints and #3 seed Northwest Nazarene Nighthawks, fighting to keep their season alive and the chance to play Western Washington in the final loser-out game of the day. The teams battled the strong winds Ellensburg brought and the offenses capitalized early on defensive miscues and strung together hits.
 
The designated home team- Nighthawks opened the scoring in the bottom of the first, with the first four batters reaching on three singles and a walk off Saint Martin’s starter Bridget Johnson. NNU’s Keana Bell singled in the four-spot to drive in two runs before the Saint’s recorded an out and gave her team the early two-run lead. The Saints responded on their next turn up, scoring their first run off a single from freshman Taylor Orgeles, who would prove to be a problem for the Nighthawks for the entirety of the game. The Saints would take the lead two batters later, scoring two off a Nighthawk error and giving them the 3-2 lead. A two-out rally from the Nighthawks would put them back on top, led by an Ava Clark double who scored on a defensive error the following batter to tie the game. Two more runs would come in before the inning’s end off more defensive miscues from the Saints, giving the Nighthawks the 5-3 lead after two innings played.
 
The score remained the same into the top of the fourth until a solo shot from SMU’s Orgeles to bring the Saints within one of the lead, which they would take over yet again take in an explosive fifth inning. Shelby Lawson and Haley Agena both singled after a leadoff fielding error by the Nighthawks to load the bases. Kaylee Walker followed up with a single of her own to drive in a run, knotting the game at five before Orgeles would launch her second home run of the game, this time a grand slam over the center fielder’s head to give the Saints the 9-5 lead. The two long balls marks Orgeles first multi-home run game of her collegiate career, and it came at a time her team needed it most.
 
The Nighthawks would get two back in the ensuing at bats, with Ashley Espin and Lola Crosby producing back-to-back doubles, followed by a pinch-hit sac-fly from Paisley Noye to score Crosby from third to close the lead to two. But Saints reliever Amanda Peterson would steady for the final two innings, allowing just one baserunner and no hits. Peterson threw the final three innings for the Saints, allowing no hits or runs, issued one walk, and had two strikeouts.
 
The Saint Martin’s Saints would come out victorious, eliminating Northwest Nazarene from the GNAC Championships. The Nighthawks currently sit at ninth in the NCAA West Regional rankings and will likely not be selected for the NCAA tournament after an 0-2 exit in the tournament. The Saint’s had to regroup and reload to face Western Washington in their second loser-out game of the day.
   

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GAME THREE: #2 Western Washington 12, #1 Saint Martin’s 4 | Box Score
 
The final game of the day featured the top seeded teams of the tournament in Saint Martin’s and Western Washington, the winner advancing to face Simon Fraser in the championship Saturday afternoon.
 
The Vikings wasted no time getting on the board with GNAC Player of the Year Maleah Andrews ripping her second home run of the tournament in the first at bat of the game off Saint Martin’s Kayla Vaughan. The Saints answered quickly in the bottom of the inning, loading the bases via a single, hit by pitch, and a fielder’s choice, and soon tying the game after WWU starter Evalyn Massena walked a run home. Orgeles would continue her hot-hitting day with a single up the middle to bring in two more runs for the Saints, giving SMU the lead 3-1.
 
SMU’s Vaughan would settle in in the circle after the Andrews long ball, working herself out of the bases-loaded, no out jam in the bottom of the first, then not allowing a hit or baserunner through the fourth inning. The Saint’s brought the lead to three in the fourth inning off an RBI-single from Massena.
 
The Vikings offense would wake up in the fifth, loading the bases on walks and fielding errors early and forcing the Saints to bring in Peterson from the bullpen. The Vikings would score two on another defensive miscue from the Saints, followed by an RBI-single from Chavez to put the score at a 4-4 tie. Back-to-back RBI-singles from Olivia Matlock and Carpenter brought the score to a 6-4 advantage for the Vikings.
 
After a quiet sixth inning, the Vikings broke the score wide open in their final go, tallying five hits, two batters reaching on errors and six runs to cross the plate to put the Vikings ahead 12-4 and punch their ticket to the championship game on Saturday. GNAC Freshman Pitcher of the Year Alanna Wirtala threw the final six innings in relief for the Vikings after throwing a complete seven inning game earlier in the day, yet still only allowed five hits, one earned run, and one walk.
 
“I’m feeling good, “said Wirtala when asked about how she’s handling the heavy workload, “I’ve pitched a lot before in my career, so I knew I just had to trust what I could do.”
 
Head Coach Sheryl Gilmore spoke on her team’s rematch against Simon Fraser, “(We) just have to take it one pitch at a time… we have all the belief in the world, we just know we got to do it together, one game at a time.”
 
The undefeated #4 Simon Fraser Red Leafs will face off against #2 Western Washington in a rematch of last year’s championship game. Simon Fraser will only need to win once to be crowned champions, while Western Washington will need to win the first game to force a winner-take-all game for the title. First pitch between the two will be at noon Pacific Saturday, with the if-necessary game to follow 30 minutes after the first game.