Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

NAMPA, Idaho – The Crusaders offense came alive, much to the delight of more than 100 softball fans at Northwest Nazarene's Halle Field on Friday.

Kendra Day got NNU started with a two-run single and Ali Schauer added a solo home run as the Crusaders kept tacking on runs in a 10-3 win over Eastern Oregon in the final of a nonconference doubleheader on day two of the College of Idaho/Northwest Nazarene Classic.

The win earned NNU (5-8 overall) a split on the day with the Mountaineers, who grabbed the opener 3-2 in 8 innings.

"It feels really good," NNU softball coach Rich Wagner said of the win. "I'm excited that the girls put everything together - pitching, defense and offense - so it feels really good."

Of course, the Crusaders needed to put things together after falling behind 3-0 after half an inning.

But Day's two-out, two-run single to left broke the ice for the Crusaders in the bottom of the second, and Brianna Kinghorn and Gatalina Schuster tacked on two-out RBI singles for NNU, which took a 4-3 lead.

Schauer's solo blast to lead off the third – the Crusaders 18^th home run this season as a team – pushed the lead to 5-3, and Alyssa Nitschelm added on an RBI groundout in the frame.

NNU then iced the win with four in the sixth as Ashley Pesek, Kayla Sevier and Nitschelm each had an RBI in the rally.

That came after the Crusaders just missed getting the big base hit in the opener, as EOU pitcher Lindsey Walchli earned the win, striking out six and stranding 11 NNU baserunners.

"We just couldn't hit the first game," Wagner said. "Their pitcher was pitching well, hitting corners, throwing great pitches; coming up with great pitches to get out of situations and we just couldn't come up with the two-out hit."

Day had an RBI walk in the second inning, tying the opener 1-1, and Kinghorn added an RBI single in the sixth for NNU, making it 2-2 before the Mountaineers plated the winner in the top of the eighth.

Kinghorn led the offense in both games, going 2-for-4 in the opener and 3-for-4 in the nightcap, while Schuster was 2-for-3 in the nightcap for NNU.

Justine Callen (1-0) earned the win in the nightcap, while Noelle Wright (1-6) was the hard-luck loser for NNU in the opener.

The Crusaders now get a week off before playing a doubleheader at Canyon County rival The College of Idaho next Friday.