Box Score 1 | Box Score 2




NAMPA, Idaho — It was an outstanding effort, though not the all results the Crusaders wanted.

The Northwest Nazarene softball team had a great day at Halle Field battling with Central Washington, nearly getting the sweep, but settled for a split in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference doubleheader on Saturday on the NNU campus.
 

"The girls did a really good job today coming out and competing the second game," NNU head softball coach Rich Wagner said as his Crusaders won the opener, 2-1, then fell 3-1 in the nightcap. "Couple balls fall our way we win two today, but that just goes to show you how close our conference is."

Both games were pitcher's duels, with Brooke Bonsen (6-3) leading the way for NNU (11-12 overall, 5-5 GNAC), earning the opening win then pitching the first five frames of the nightcap before leaving that ballgame with the score tied, 1-1.

"Brooke did a great job," Wagner said, adding, "she threw 12 innings; did a really good job, kept us in both games."

In the opener, Bonsen made a first-inning Crusader rally hold up as she scattered seven hits and just gave up a solo run in the top of the fifth inning to the Wildcats (16-7, 4-6).

That rally for the Crusaders came in the bottom of the first — from NNU's first three hitters.

Lily Paschal led off with a slow roller under the glove of CWU pitcher Brielle Copodonna for a single, then she moved to third on a Cassidy Fifield single down the right-field line. Fifield took second on an errant throw back to the infield on the play.

Kylie Orr then plated both with one swing, driving a game-winning, two-run single to center that put NNU on top 2-0 after one inning.

Bonsen took over from there, not striking out a batter yet still dominating as she let her defense do the work behind her for the complete-game victory.
 

Bonsen then battled the Wildcats' Kayla Smith in another pitcher's duel in the second game, with CWU plating a run in the top of the fourth before Bonsen helped herself at the plate in the bottom of the fifth.

The Crusader pitcher belted a lead-off double off the fence, then pinch-runner Lauren Bassett scored on a pinch-hit RBI sacrifice fly off the bat of Kiahna Brown for a 1-1 tie.

Bonsen then turned it over to the Crusader bullpen, which battled, but couldn't fend off the Wildcats who got an unearned run in the sixth and an insurance run in the seventh inning.

NNU tried to rally late, but Smith closed out the win for the Wildcats by stranding a Crusader base-runner in the sixth, then leaving two more NNU runners aboard in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Fifield had a pair of hits in the opener to lead the offense for NNU, which is back in action at home hosting Simon Fraser on Friday in a twinbill starting at 2 p.m.