Gale, Polega, and Ziel Highlight Softball On All-Conference Teams
MIDLAND, MICH. – Three athletes from the Northwood softball team were named to the All-Great Midwest Athletic Conference teams. Juniors Delanie Gale and Ashley Ziel led the Timberwolves, earning First Team All-Conference honors. Brynn Polega was named to the Second Team.
These awards mark the first All-Conference honors for Gale and Polega and the second for Ziel. As a freshman, Ziel was named a First Team honoree in 2023 when she led the conference in home runs (9).
THE ATHLETES
Gale's prolific offensive season has her in the team lead for hits (56), doubles (16), home runs (8), runs batted in (34), runs scored (44), stolen bases (7), and slugging percentage (.658). The junior has posted two G-MAC Player of the Week awards (March 10 and April 21) and is currently ranked second in home runs, third in runs scored and slugging percentage, and fourth in doubles in the conference.
Ziel's career-best and team-leading .380 average and .433 on-base percentage have given Northwood a nice one-two punch in the top of the lineup. She is just behind Gale and second on the team in hits (52), runs batted in (28), home runs (3), and slugging percentage (.503). She has also had a resurgence from the circle, tossing 49 innings, with a 3.43 earned run average, and a 5-1 record.
The duo continues to etch their names in the program's history books. For their careers, they are currently sixth (Ziel – 17) and 11th (Gale -15) in home runs, fifth (Gale -40) and eleventh (Ziel – 30) in doubles. Gale is three doubles shy of the single-season doubles mark of 19 (Grace Dutoi – 2019).
Polega has been Northwood's best arm in the circle all season. The senior led the Timberwolves in almost every major pitching stat category, sporting a 2.25 earned run average over 109 innings pitched. Her 14 wins were the second most in the conference. This includes three shutouts, an opponent's batting average against of .219, and 80 strikeouts.