Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

CALDWELL, Idaho – Home turned out to be very friendly to The College of Idaho in softball Friday as the Coyotes hosted the Crusaders in the first half of a home-and-home weekend series.

The C of I (7-4 overall) started strong in their home half of the series, scoring a 9-0 win in five innings over Northwest Nazarene, then held on despite a valiant comeback effort by the Crusaders, completing the doubleheader sweep, 6-4 in game two.

The two teams now head to Nampa where NNU gets to play host as the teams renew their series Saturday at noon.

In Friday's opener, Kendra Day and Alyssa Nitschelm each collected a hit for the Crusaders (5-10), but that was all they could muster as the Coyotes' Nickayla Skinner (4-2) struck out nine in the complete-game win.

The nightcap went much better for NNU as Ali Schauer tied the game 1-1 in the top of the second with an RBI single, then Schauer gave the Crusaders a 2-1 lead in the fourth with an RBI double.

The Yotes, though, plated three in the fourth and two more in the fifth for a 6-2 lead.

NNU battled to try and even the score as Shelby Johnson doubled home two in the sixth, but the Crusaders could get no closer.

Nitschelm added a pair of hits in the nightcap, collecting a base knock in both games, while Gatalina Schuster added a pair of hits in the second game for NNU, as well.