Feb. 11, 2015
Contact: Nathan Webber
(503)305-8756/[email protected]
Rare Feats: No-Hitter, Triple-play in GNAC’s Opening Week
PORTLAND, Ore. – What a week it was.
After three of the first five opening day series were rained
out, Western Oregon beat a team by 17 runs, Montana State
Billings went on SportsCenter and Central Washington’s
Brandon Williams threw the fourth no-hitter in GNAC
history.
Picking up right where he left off last season, the former
GNAC Pitcher of the Year threw seven scoreless innings
fanning 13 of the 22 batters he faced for the first no-hitter in
the GNAC since 2010.
He was perfect through five and two-thirds innings before a
throwing error and a hit batter ended the perfect-game
threat.
The Wildcats went on to win 9-0 in the game and swept the
four-game series against Saint Martin’s after their trip to San
Francisco State was cancelled due to weather.
The Montana State Billings baseball team didn’t have its best
road trip starting the 2015 season, taking only one of the
four games against Colorado State Pueblo. The Yellowjackets
did however make some amazing plays.
After digging themselves into a three-run hole in the final
inning of the second game, the Yellowjackets Brody Miller
launched a three-run home run into right center to tie the
game. MSUB came back an inning later to win on a sac fly.
The next day the Yellowjackets turned a rare triple play
against the Thunderwolves. In the sixth inning, MSUB
shortstop Kyle Durbin caught a line drive from the batter,
stepped on second and threw to first for the triple play. It’s
the third of its kind in GNAC history and the first since April
16 in 2011 when CWU accomplished the feat against a
Division I team in Seattle.
ESPN took notice as the play made SportsCenters “Top 10”
that night, coming in as the ninth best play in the country.
Around the GNAC, WOU didn’t start the season off the way it
hoped either, losing seven of its first eight. In the Wolves
lone win however they demolished Point Loma 17-0.
Northwest Nazarene also took two in the impromptu
Treasure Valley Icebreaker tournament it hosted after its Cal
State East Bay trip was rained out.
Standings and Schedule
GNAC
Team
Central Washington
Northwest Nazarene
MSU Billings
Saint Martin’s
Western Oregon
W
0
0
0
0
0
L
0
0
0
0
0
Overall
W
4
2
1
1
1
L
0
2
3
5
7
S
W4
L1
L2
L4
L1
UPCOMING GAMES
THURSDAY, FEB. 12
Northwest Nazarene at Hawaii Pacific, 6 p.m.
FRIDAY, FEB. 13
Central Washington at Sonoma State (DH), 11 a.m./2 p.m.
Western Oregon at CSU Monterey Bay, 2 p.m.
Saint Martin’s at College of Idaho, 2 p.m.
Northwest Nazarene at Hawaii Pacific (DH), 4 p.m./7 p.m.
SATURDAY, FEB. 14
Western Oregon at CSU Monterey Bay (DH), 11 a.m./2 p.m.
Central Washington at Sonoma State (DH), 11 a.m./2 p.m.
Saint Martin’s at College of Idaho (DH), 12 p.m./3 p.m.
Northwest Nazarene at Hawaii Pacific, 1 p.m.
SUNDAY, FEB. 15
Saint Martin’s at College of Idaho, 11 a.m.
Western Oregon at CSU Monterey Bay, 11 a.m.
MONDAY, FEB. 16
Azusa Pacific at Montana State Billings (DH), 1 p.m./4 p.m.
TUESDAY, FEB. 17
Azusa Pacific at Montana State Billings, 11 a.m.
Around the GNAC
Already the GNAC’s career home run king, Chandler Tracy
added two more long balls to start the season, taking an
early lead for the conference home run title in 2015. To
date, Tracy has 33 career home runs, 21 more than any
other active player in the conference.
Williams was selected as the GNAC Pitcher of the Week
after his no-hitter while Northwest Nazarene’s Kyle
Thomson was the Player of the Week after his seven-run,
five-RBI performance.
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