Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

WILSONVILLE, Ore. — The Crusaders continue to compete with the league's best, and continue to pile up wins.

Friday, playing on the road against early-season Great Northwest Athletic Conference leader Concordia, the Northwest Nazarene softball team continued its strong play by splitting the two teams' conference twinbill, taking game one, 11-8, before the Cavaliers rallied for the split with a 7-0 victory in the nightcap.

"We played good defense and commanded the zone really well today," NNU head softball coach Rich Wagner said. "In game one our offense got timely hits, but we have to work harder on getting consistent game-changing hits in both games, not just game one."

In the opener, freshmen Cassidy Fifield and Kylie Orr provided the game-changing hits as Fifield's one-out, two-run double snapped a 5-5 tie in the top of the sixth inning, then Orr ripped a two-run single to right to put NNU on top, 9-5.

Kiahna Brown added a solo homer in the top of the seventh inning and Morgan Thome had an RBI hit by pitch in the same frame.

Brooke Bonsen (5-3) earned the win, going the first 5 2-3 innings, and Kendall Goodwin closed it out, getting the final four outs for NNU (9-10 overall, 3-3 GNAC).

Orr, Lily Paschal, Lisa Sylvester, Brown and Shelbie Martinez each collected a pair of hits in the opening win.

Paschal racked up three hits, and Anna Olso and Abigail Otto each added two hits apiece in the nightcap, as the Crusaders continued to hit well but lacked the clutch hits to plate runs as NNU stranded eight base-runners.

Concordia (15-8, 3-1), conversely, pushed home a pair of runs in the third then iced the win with five runs in the fifth.

Despite the missed opportunities, Coach Wagner was pleased with the day's results.

"Anytime you go on the road and split with a team hitting as well as they are you leave feeling good," NNU's coach said.

The Crusaders now travel home as their schedule Saturday doubleheader at Concordia was postponed until April 7, because of inclement weather.

NNU next hosts Central Washington at Halle Field on Friday and Saturday in GNAC doubleheaders, with first pitch set for 2 p.m. on Friday and at noon on Saturday.