Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

NAMPA, Idaho — Coach Rich Wagner continues to search for an answer to his team's game two riddle.

Fortunately for the Crusader coach, the riddle is how to get a sweep as for the sixth time this season the Northwest Nazarene softball team split a Great Northwest Athletic Conference doubleheader.

"We played really well in game one," Wagner said as NNU rolled to an 8-0, mercy-rule win in five innings over visiting Simon Fraser. "Our offense was consistent, our defense played great and (pitcher) Brooke (Bonsen) hit her spots."

In the nightcap, the Clan regrouped to take an 11-3 victory in six innings.

"We need to find a formula that gets us a win in game two," Wagner said.

"Our effort in game two is where it needs to be now. If we keep learning and improving, the outcome of games will take care of itself."

The Crusaders (12-13 overall, 6-6 GNAC) left little doubt in the opener as Bonsen (7-3) struck out one and scattered five hits in the shutout, then got plenty of help from the NNU offense.
 

Lily Paschal had an RBI single to left field in the bottom of the second, a base knock that proved to be the game winner, but NNU wasn't done.

Cassidy Fifield singled in two more in the inning, they Kylie Orr and Paschal added an RBI each in the third inning as the Crusaders jumped up, 7-0.

An Anna Olson RBI sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fourth gave the Crusaders an 8-0 lead and brought on the 8-run mercy rule after five innings.

Abigail Otto had a pair of hits while Paschal and Fifield each had a pair of RBIs in the opening victory to lead the NNU offense.

The Clan (17-14, 8-6) turned it around in the nightcap, plating four runs in the top of the first inning and never looking back, though NNU battled to get even.

Lisa Sylvester walked and scored on an error and Otto added an RBI fielder's choice, trimming the difference to 4-2 after just two innings.

But the Clan plated six in the top of the third inning to break the game open as the Crusaders managed just an Ali Schauer RBI single from there.

Paschal, Orr, Bonsen and Schauer each had a base hit in the nightcap for NNU, which hosts Simon Fraser in another doubleheader at 1 p.m. on Saturday following an Easter Egg Hunt for kids ages 12-and-under at the NNU track starting at noon.