Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

BELLINGHAM, Wash. – As Arianna Barrio hustled home, it spoiled a great fighting effort by the Crusaders on Saturday afternoon.

The Northwest Nazarene softball team played tough all day, including getting a clutch two-out, game-tying RBI double from Shelby Johnson in the top of the seventh, only to see host Western Washington spoil the comeback and complete a weekend sweep when Barrio scored on a wild pitch for a 10-9 victory.

"We played really well today," NNU softball coach Rich Wagner said, "when we made a mistake we battled back to make up for it.

"Today was a slugfest and we came up just short," Wagner added.

Both teams battled back and forth all day, with the Vikings ending up on top in both contests, taking the opening game of the teams' Great Northwest Athletic Conference doubleheader 7-4 before earning the 10-9, walk-off win.

The Crusaders (11-32 overall, 3-17 GNAC) now return home for their final four games of the season when they host Central Washington in league doubleheaders on Friday at 2 p.m. and Saturday at noon.

Saturday at Western Washington, NNU came out fighting as Justine Callen's 3-run home run in the top of the first gave the Crusaders a quick edge.

The Vikings (27-11, 14-6) answered with a six-run rally in the third, though, and tacked on a run in the fourth, then held on against the feisty Crusaders as Whitney Carlton had an RBI double to get NNU as close as three runs down.

Undaunted by the first-game setback, the Crusaders again started quick in the nightcap as Brianna Kinghorn singled home two runs in the top of the first, once again spotting NNU to an early edge.

The Vikings answered with two in their half of the first and three more in the second, but NNU answered with a Carlton two-run double in the fourth.

Kinghorn then added an RBI single and scored on a wild pitch, giving NNU a 6-5 lead and igniting a four-run fifth for the Crusaders. Ali Schauer added an RBI walk and NNU scored a run on an error in the rally, forging an 8-5 edge.

Four more runs by Western Washington put the Vikings back on top, 9-8, though, and set the stage for the dramatic seventh.

Callen drew a two-out walk to start NNU's comeback, then pinch-runner Aubree Shepherd scored on Johnson's double to center, tying the game 9-9.

"We did a better job hitting with runners on today," Wagner said.

The Vikings won, though, as Barrio walked and eventually came around to score on a wild pitch with one out.

Carlton led NNU's offense on the day, going 5-for-9 with three RBIs, while Callen and Kinghorn each added three hits and three RBIs for the Crusaders.