ST. GEORGE, Utah – Opening the 2008 season in St. George, Utah, the Northwest Nazarene University softball team fell 3-1 to Cal Baptist and 12-0 against Dixie State College on Friday in a pair of non-conference games at Karl Brooks Field.

NNU (0-2) outfielder Cortnee Crane led the Crusaders, going 3-for-5 on the day, while shortstop Haley Hevern earned the only Crusader RBI of the double-header.

Cal Baptist (1-0) scored one run in the first inning of game one, but the Crusaders answered in the top of the second when Catherine Lowery singled up the middle, moved to third on a sacrifice by Rachel Bare and then scored on Hevern's RBI single to right center.  Hevern earned the RBI in the first at-bat of her collegiate career.

Cal Baptist would add two runs in the third, both off of Crusader starter Bare, with Bare surrendering six hits and three earned runs in three innings of work.  Dana Shipley pitched the final three innings, giving up one hit and striking out one.

In game two against Dixie State, the host Rebels plated single runs in the first three innings and then added five in the fourth and four in the fifth to earn the 12-0 win in the five-inning shortened game.

Crane went 2-for-2 against the Rebels with Bare (0-2) taking the loss after pitching the first three and one-third innings, allowing six hits and three runs.  Shipley worked the final one and one-third innings with Dixie State scoring nine runs on eight hits.

The Crusaders will play the same teams on Saturday, beginning with an 11 a.m. start against Cal Baptist and a 1:30 p.m. start against Dixie State.