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BILLINGS, Mont. – The "Sluggin' Lady 'Saders" where back in the swing of things Friday afternoon.

The Northwest Nazarene softball team belted three home runs in a 6-4, Great Northwest Athletic Conference road win at Montana State Billings to open a league doubleheader Friday.

The onslaught of long-balls by NNU gives the team 23 home runs on the season, the second-most home runs in the GNAC this season.

The Yellowjackets rallied in the nightcap for an 8-0 victory in five innings to split the day's two games.

"We played well today, first game we hit, pitched and fielded well," NNU softball coach Rich Wagner said.

NNU crushed the ball as Megan Lounsbury hit her first collegiate home run, a solo shot, giving the Crusaders (11-25 overall, 3-10 GNAC) a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning.

Alyssa Nitschelm made it a 5-0 ballgame with one swing in the fourth, smacking her fourth home run of the season, a three-run shot before Gatalina Schuster capped off the Crusader fireworks with a solo blast in the fifth, her third of the season.

That spotted Noelle Wright (6-13) a 6-0 lead, and the NNU senior pitcher made sure it was plenty, striking out five Yellowjacket batters in the complete-game victory.

In the nightcap, one big rally by MSU Billings (13-18, 5-11) spoiled the game for the Crusaders as the Yellowjackets scored six in the third inning, then tacked on two more in the fifth to ice the win.

"Second game we had two starters out injured and we didn't make the adjustments on their pitcher," Wagner said. "They had one big inning in the third and we couldn't bounce back."

Justine Callen picked up the lone hit in the nightcap for the Crusaders, who play another doubleheader at MSU Billings today at 10 a.m.

Callen also had a hit in the opener, one of seven different Crusaders to pick up a base knock in the victory.

"The ladies played with a lot of heart today," Wagner said.