Game 1 Boxscore
Game 2 Boxscore

NAMPA — Sarah Varady provided the spark and Northwest Nazarene University softball team just kept piling fuel on the fire.

Varady snuck a solo homer out to left in the bottom of the second to get the Crusaders rolling and they kept tacking on runs against Montana State University Billings, sweeping the Yellowjackets 6-1 and 6-3 in a GNAC doubleheader at Halle Field on Friday.

“It feels great, I think it's great for our team, a big boost,” said Varady, who went 3-for-7 in the twinbill.

Back-to-back doubles in the third by Haley Hevern and Emily Renfrow made it 2-0 before Varady singled home Renfrow, then NNU (9-27, 8-21 GNAC) tacked on a run in the fifth and two more in the sixth.

Plenty of offense for Crusader pitcher Nicole Grummons (5-12), who didn't do anything fancy, striking out just one in the win.

But, she also didn't make any mistakes and let her teammates make plays behind her.

“That's been our motto all year, our pitchers are going to give us outs, we've just got to take care of them, and we did a really good job today of doing that,” NNU coach Julie Coert said.

As much as NNU's defense did to swat the 'Jackets (15-22, 12-14), the Crusader offense made sure the hard work paid off in wins, rallying in the nightcap after spotting MSU-Billings a 1-0 edge.

Helped by a pair of errors, Chelsey Anderson and Cara Duckworth both scored in the bottom of the second, then five straight singles then a double from Becky Louber, scored four runs in the third, putting NNU in front 6-1.

Anderson benefited from the offense, working out of trouble in the fifth and a bases loaded, one-out jam in the seventh to complete the sweep.

“Anderson and Grummons both have just been pitching great for us all year, I'm glad we got them some support,” Coert said.

The teams will return tomorrow for a GNAC doubleheader that begins at Noon.