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NAMPA, Idaho — It was a dramatic as they come: A second chance granted on the final last strike, along with two last at-bat comebacks.

But in the end, the Crusaders celebrated a 5-4, walk-off win over visiting Central Washington at Halle Field on the Northwest Nazarene campus, a victory the program will remember for ages.

"You can't complain about coming back and being a part of possibly one of the best wins we've had on this field, ever," NNU head softball coach Rich Wagner said.

The dramatic finish gave the Crusaders a win to start the day as they split the GNAC doubleheader with the Wildcats, who took the nightcap, 8-0, in six innings. The two teams play another GNAC twinbill Saturday starting at noon.
 

"Going extra innings, showing some serious heart, then they load the bases and we get a huge hit by Lisa (Sylvester) to end the game — you just can't beat that, that's an incredible win."

NNU (10-11 overall, 4-4 GNAC) had to rally twice after the Wildcats (15-6, 3-5) themselves rallied late.

A three-run double in the top of the sixth by CWU's Andrea Hamada erased a 2-0 lead the Crusaders had built on a Sylvester RBI single in the third and an Ali Schauer RBI sacrifice fly in the fourth.

It looked like the game might be over as the Crusaders failed to score in the bottom of the sixth inning, and with two outs and just a runner at first, were down to their final strike when Schauer launched a fly ball down the right-field line.

Right-fielder Michaela Hazlett raced to catch it and got her glove on the ball, but juggling it, couldn't secure the catch as Kiahna Brown hustled home from first, tying the game 3-3 and bringing on extra innings.

The Wildcats answered with a run on a throwing error by NNU in the top of the eighth inning, but undaunted, the Crusaders rallied one more time.
 

With one out, Abigail Otto reached on a bunt single to third, then Lily Paschal chased her home with a triple to right.

Forced to walk the bases loaded to get force outs at all bases to try an escape trouble, the Wildcats took their chances with Sylvester with one out and nowhere to put her.

Sylvester drove a ball into the left-center gap, scoring the winning run, then rounded the bases to celebrate the walk-off, comeback win with her teammates.

Paschal and Sylvester each had three hits in the win.

Things didn't go as well in the nightcap as Morgan Thome, Cassidy Fifield and Kylie Orr each had a hit, all the offense NNU collected in an 8-0 setback.

"They showed tons of heart," Wagner said, adding, "now we've just got to figure out how to keep that heart and that grit the second game."