Willamette to Open Softball Season with Six Games in California

By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director, (503) 370-6110

SALEM, ORE. -- The Willamette University softball team will begin the 2015 season with six games on a road trip to Southern California this week. The Bearcats will open the trip with two games at Concordia University Irvine on Thursday, Feb. 19 at 1 p.m. (PST), before playing two games at Pomona Pitzer on Friday, Feb. 20 at 1 p.m. and a twinbill at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps on Saturday, Feb. 21 at 12 p.m.

Willamette Interim Head Coach Kelli Snyder will be coaching her first games. Snyder, who played four seasons for the Bearcats and was an assistant coach last season, is filling in for Damian Williams, who is on a leave of absence this spring. Willamette is a member of NCAA Division III and competes in the Northwest Conference.

Heather Winslow (Sr., 1B, Oregon City, OR/Oregon City HS) is Willamette's top returning player after earning Second Team All-West Region and First Team All-NWC honors in 2014. She hit a team-high .420 last year, while leading the team with 50 hits, 39 runs scored and 16 hit by pitches.

Winslow also ranked first on the team with a .605 slugging percentage and a .543 on-base percentage. She was successful on 25 of 28 stolen-base attempts. On defense, she achieved 302 putouts at first base and recorded a .969 fielding percentage.

Ashley Pender (Jr., 2B, Reno, NV/North Valleys HS), who was named Third Team All-Region and Honorable Mention All-NWC, hit .375 last spring. Pender and Winslow each pounded out 12 doubles, while Pender contributed 24 runs and a team-high 35 RBIs.

Amanda Absher (Sr., C, Elk Grove, CA/Franklin HS) batted .314 a year ago, while earning 18 runs and 18 RBIs. Kayla Rieger (Sr., OF, Anacortes, WA/Anacortes HS) achieved a .312 batting average, scored 16 runs and was 15 for 20 on stolen bases.

Also providing offensive success in 2014 was Erin Norris (Sr., INF, Salem, OR/South Salem HS), who hit .288 while recording 20 runs and 24 RBIs. She led the team with 20 walks.

The Bearcats registered a .294 team batting average with 198 runs and 162 RBIs. The Bearcats finished 95 of 115 (82.6%) on stolen bases. Willamette earned an 18-22 overall record, went 14-14 in the NWC and qualified for the NWC Tournament.

Concordia University Irvine is off to an 8-0 start this season. The Eagles have played six home games and two road games.

Six of Concordia's games have been against other teams from California, and two games were against Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University from Arizona. The Eagles defeated Embry-Riddle 6-0 and 9-1 (5 innings, run rule) in their most recent games on Feb. 14.

Alyssa Yglesias (Jr., IF) leads the Eagles with a .643 batting average with nine hits in 14 at bats. She has scored five runs and driven in five runs. Cori Fisher (So., IF) is 7 of 14 at the plate and leads the team with 13 RBIs. She is tied for first with nine runs scored. Mckenna Gilgore (Fr., C) also owns a .500 batting average (6 of 12).

Amy Eilefson (Fr., IF) is batting .474. She has matched Fisher with nine runs and ranks second on the team with 11 RBIs.

The Eagles, who compete in the NAIA and Golden State Athletic Conference, are hitting an impressive .375 as a team and have held opponents to a .135 average. Grayson Harvey (Fr., RHP) and Brittani McGue (Sr., RHP) lead the pitching staff with 3-0 records. Harvey holds a .000 earned run average with 22 strikeouts. McGue has a 0.60 ERA and has recorded 18 strikeouts.

Pomona-Pitzer is 3-6 on the season and 1-1 in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) of NCAA Division III. The Sagehens are hitting .299 and allowing opponents to hit .313.

Paige Oliver (Jr., IF) is batting .435 (10 for 23) with seven runs, eight RBIs and two homers. Susanne Boden (Jr., OF) owns a .370 average (10 for 27) with five runs and five RBIs. Aryana Yee (Jr., IF) is hitting .316 for the Sagehens.

Bianca Cockrell (So., P) tops the Pomona-Pitzer pitching staff with a 3.90 ERA. She has achieved a 1-1 record, while striking out 16 batters in 23 1/3 innings pitched.

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps enters the weekend with a 3-1 overall record and a 2-0 mark in the SCIAC. The Athenas have batted .344 this season, with their opponents hitting .299.

Tara Robinson (Jr., IF/OF) and Katie Savard (Jr., IF) lead CMS with matching .600 batting averages. Both are 6 for 10 at the plate, with Robinson scoring four runs and Savard earning three runs and three RBIs. Alexa Heydenberk (So., OF/IF) is batting .500 with five hits in 10 at bats. She has hit one double and one triple.

Briana Halle (Fr., P/IF) has achieved a 0.00 ERA in 5 2/3 innings pitched over two games. She is 1-0 on the season and has limited opponents to a .190 batting average. Andrea Jewett (So., P) owns a 1.11 ERA and a 1-0 record in 6 1/2 innings. Anna Gurr (Fr., P/IF) is 0-1 with a 1.56 ERA, but leads the Athenas with nine strikeouts in nine innings.