NAMPA, Ida. — Saint Martin's Softball (32-14) competed on day two of the GNAC Championships where they would square off in two close matchups against Western Washington and Simon Fraser.
The Saints kicked off the day of competition in the winner's match from the day prior, facing the tournament's top-seeded Vikings. SMU would jump out to a hot start thanks to efficient offense from the top of the lineup. The frame would be capped off by a three-RBI double from
Faith Prosch to elevate SMU's lead to 5-0. The Vikings would strike back immediately however, putting up five runs of their own in the bottom of the first, tying the contest at 5-5. WWUÂ would close out a scoreless second inning on defense before putting up four more runs in the bottom of the second and another in the third to take a 10-5 lead. The Saints would find a response with a single to left field from
Heather Ebner to drive in
Elissa Dewees to bring the score to 6-10, but it would be the last time SMU scored in the contest.
Keagan Norfleet would only give up one earned run in 4.2 innings of relief, but an eight-strikeout appearance from Kong of Western Washington would keep the SMU offense at bay, holding on to move on to the GNAC Championship Game. Saint Martin's would be slotted to face Simon Fraser later in the day in an elimination game.
In their second game of the day, and third of the tournament, the Saints would once again jump out to an early lead thanks to a single from
Amanda Peterson that would result in two runs off of an error from SFU's left fielder, followed up by a solo home-run shot from
Shelby Lawson to give SMU a 3-0 lead. Simon Fraser would find a response in the third to tie the game at 3-3, but the top of the order for Saint Martin's would swing right back. Ebner would drive in a run to not only take the lead, but also secure the GNAC single-season RBI record in the process with a total of 67 in the 2025 season, passing the previous record of 66 from 2022 and adding more accolades to her already-impressive two seasons with SMU. A walk and
Kaylee Walker single would extend the team's lead to 6-3, but Simon Fraser would respond with three runs in the fourth and fifth innings to tie the contest back up at 6-6. SMU's offense would continue to get runners on base but were unable to bring in any more runs, giving Simon Fraser the go-ahead opportunity in the bottom of the seventh inning. A Balcaen single to center field walked it off for Simon Fraser, with the Saints' run at the GNAC Championships ending in a 6-7 loss.
The Saints await the NCAA selection show to see if they make the Division II West Regional. SMU came into the tournament as the region's six-seed, with the top eight teams qualifying for the bracket. The Selection Show will take place on Monday, May 5th, at 7:00 AM PST.
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