Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

LACEY, Wash. – Friday turned out to be a frustrating close, yet disappointing day for the Crusader softball team.

Playing at Saint Martin's, the reigning Great Northwest Athletic Conference champs and the unanimous favorite in the preseason coaches poll to claim the crown again this season, Northwest Nazarene had the Saints on the ropes but simply couldn't come up with the big hit to finish off the win.

Instead, the Saints held on for a 1-0 victory to sweep a GNAC doubleheader from the Crusaders, who fell 10-2 in five innings in the opening game.

"We played well in game two, we just could not get the big hit," NNU softball coach Rich Wagner said. "We hit a lot of balls right at people."

NNU (5-13 overall, 0-2 GNAC) collected six hits in the win and loaded the bases with one out in the fourth, looking to break the game open, but could not plate a run.

The Saints (6-5, 2-0) managed to collect just two hits against NNU pitcher Noelle Wright, who dominated but was a hard-luck loser.

One of those hits was a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the second by Megan Miller which provided the only run of the game.

Both teams put together more offense in the opener as Brianna Kinghorn singled home two runs in the top of the fifth for NNU, making the score 7-2 before the Saints plated three in the bottom of the fifth to close out the win.

Alyssa Nitschelm and Gatalina Schuster each had a pair of hits in the opener to lead NNU's offense.

"Our girls will continue to compete tomorrow," Wagner added, looking ahead to Saturday's doubleheader, a rematch between these two teams starting at 11 a.m. (MT).