GNAC weekly release

BILLINGS, Mont.  – The Montana State University Billings Softball team is headed to Ellensburg, Wash. for their next four conference games of the season.
 
After starting off the year in early February with a nine-game stand in six days, the MSU Billings (5-8, 0-4 Great Northwest Athletic Conference) women's softball team had almost a month off before returning to action last weekend at Western Oregon University.  MSU Billings lost all four games of their two day double-header schedule, but the team is looking to get back on track as they head to Central Washington University for four more conference games.
 
"Central Washington is one of our biggest rivals," Head Coach Lisa Allen said. "They make very good plays and hit the ball well."
 
Central Washington University currently sits atop the GNAC with an 11-4 overall record and are 4-0 in the GNAC after taking two games from Simon Fraser University and two from Western Washington University last weekend.
 
The Wildcats pitcher Maria Gau is tied for first in the GNAC with six wins.  Gau has a 2.95 ERA in seven games.  Kiana Wood is tied for second in the GNAC with five wins.  Wood leads CWU with a 2.25 ERA in five starts and two game appearances.  She is also tied for No. 1 in the GNAC in shut-outs with two this season.
 
In 10 games, CWU's Katie Focher is batting .417 with 10 hits in 24 at bats.  Last weekend Mikaila Galusha led the Wildcats in her plate appearances.  Galusha had three doubles, including a game-ending hit in CWU's Sunday's 4-3 victory over Western Washington.  She also drove in four runs in the Wildcats four victories.
 
MSUB's Aubrey Conceicao leads the Yellowjackets with her .400 batting average.  She is ranked No. 5 in the GNAC for her individual batting average, tied for No. 4 in doubles on the season with five, and is tied for ninth in on base percentage at .442.
 
Last weekend Taylor Hoke went 4-11 at the plate with 3 RBI's. 
 
MSUB Pitcher Mary Grace Bywater leads the team with a 1.84 ERA and three wins.  She is tied for No. 8 in the GNAC in wins.
 
MSU Billings' first game in their four game stand against Central Washington is Saturday, Mar. 15 at 12 PM Pacific Time.  Sunday's double-headers will have an 11 am Pacific Time start.  All games will have live stats at MSUBSports.com.
 
"We know that when we face them they are going to be scrappy, "Coach Allen said.  "As a team we need to focus on the task at hand and execute each play proficiently."