ELLENSBURG, Wash. — The No. 1 Saint Martin's Softball team fell by a score of 5-4 to No. 4 Simon Fraser in the first round of the 2026 GNAC Softball Tournament in Ellensburg on Thursday, May 7.
The first-round loss moves the Saints into an elimination-game matchup against No. 3 Northwest Nazarene tomorrow at 12:30 p.m., with the winner moving on to another elimination game at 3 p.m.
How It Happened
- The game remained scoreless through the first two innings, as starting pitcher Kayla Vaughan worked her way out of bases loaded with one out, striking out a batter and forcing a lineout to escape the inning.
- Vaughan pitched a shutout through the first four innings of the game.
- The Saints took the lead in the bottom of the third, as Shelby Lawson got the scoring started with an RBI single that scored Elissa Dewees.
- In the top of the fifth, the Red Leafs loaded the bases by way of two consecutive errors and a single.
- Cassidy Affeldt hit a grand slam to right field, flipping the game and giving Simon Fraser a 4-3 lead.
- Later in the inning, the Red Leafs scored an additional run off an error, putting the Saints behind 5-3.
- The Saints moved runners to second and third with one out in the bottom of the fifth, but a double play ended the rally.
- Saint Martin's came within 5-4 in the bottom of the sixth, as Faith Prosch singled to right field and Olivianna Trinidad scored on the play.
- Elissa Dewees hit a one-out single for the Saints in the bottom of the seventh, but the Red Leafs retired the ensuing two batters to hand the Saints a first-round defeat.
Top Performers
- Jennessy Lopez went 1-3 with two RBIs.
- Shelby Lawson went 1-4 with one RBI and one run.
- Kayla Vaughan pitched four innings and struck out three batters, allowing two earned runs across four innings.
- Amanda Peterson pitched three relief innings, striking out one batter and allowing one unearned run off one hit allowed.
Up Next
The Saints will face Northwest Nazarene in the second round tomorrow, with the first pitch scheduled for 12:30 p.m.
- The loser of the game will be eliminated, while the winner will go on to fave the loser of Western Washington and Simon Fraser.
- Northwest Nazarene was defeated 11-2 by Western Washington, falling in five innings.
- The Saints went 3-1 against the Nighthawks in the regular season.
- Full GNAC Softball Tournament coverage is available here.
