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TURLOCK, Calif. — Oh so close!

The Crusaders nearly scored the biggest win in program history Friday morning before a late two-out rally for third-ranked Humboldt State allowed the Lumberjacks to escape with a 3-2 win over the Northwest Nazarene softball team in the opening game of the Tournament of Champions hosted by Stanislaus State.

That proved to be the highlight of the day for NNU, which fell 5-0 to Cal State San Bernardino in its afternoon contest, then fell 5-0 once again to Azusa Pacific late Friday night.

"We showed how well we can play against the No. 3 team in the nation, and then we just didn't play at the same level the next two games," NNU head softball coach Rich Wagner said. "We need to learn how to stay at that same competitive level no matter the opponent and the outcome from game to game."

NNU competed strong in the opener, jumping up 2-0 on the two-time NCAA Division II National Champions as an RBI triple by Kylie Orr in the top of the first spotted the Crusaders (13-15 overall, 7-7 GNAC) to a 1-0 lead.

A Lisa Sylvester RBI fielder's choice in the top of the third inning made it a 2-0 ballgame before the 'Jacks (26-3-1) chipped away with a run in the bottom of the third.
 

Humboldt State tied it with a two-out RBI double from Hanna Holland in the bottom of the fourth inning, then two lazy bloops down the left-field line with two outs chased home the game-winner in the bottom of the fifth inning, spoiling NNU's upset bid.

Orr led NNU going 3-for-3 in the contest while Cassidy Fifield was 2-for-3 and scored both Crusader runs.

Then things went downhill as NNU got just a single each from Bonsen and Lily Paschal in their afternoon contest, a 5-0 loss to the Coyotes (19-20), who didn't pull away until a momentum-changing play in the top of the sixth inning.

Trailing just 3-0, NNU had runners at the corners with one out and looked to have stolen second and home, but a batter's interference call on a third strike turned into an unexpected double play that took a run off the board and ended the inning.

The Coyotes promptly plated two runs to ice the win.

In the nightcap, the Crusader offense again struggled as Orr, Anna Olson and Ali Schauer each had a hit, but that was it for NNU.

Meanwhile, the Cougars (20-8) managed to jump up 2-0 in the top of the first, then got a solo home run in the second from Ally Wimer for a quick 3-0 edge.

Azusa Pacific tacked on two more runs in the fourth inning, then fended off any Crusader comeback thoughts.

While the disappointing day leaves NNU winless in the tournament, the Crusaders still have plenty of chance to battle back as they play Cal State East Bay at 10 a.m. (MT) on Saturday, then conclude the tournament against UC San Diego at 3 p.m. (MT).

Watch and listen to both games live online at www.nnusports.com/livestats