Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

LACEY, Wash. — Another strong day on the field wasn't quite enough for the Crusaders on the road Saturday afternoon.

The Northwest Nazarene softball team played well but just came up short in few game-changing moments, falling 6-3 and 6-1 in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference doubleheader at league-leading St. Martin's.

"We need to start winning the game-changing plays again," NNU head softball coach Rich Wagner said. "When we start winning those plays on offense then we will see a lot of success.

"We are leaving way too many runners in scoring position," NNU's skipper said as the Crusaders stranded 14 on the bases in the twinbill.

The string of stranded runners started in the top of the first inning for NNU (14-24 overall, 8-12 GNAC) as the Crusaders couldn't come up with a two-out, bases loaded hit to open the scoring.

The Saints took advantage with a run in each of the first and third innings, then SMU (31-10, 14-4) stretched its advantage to 5-0 with a three-run rally in the fourth.

A Morgan Thome RBI groundout and a Lily Paschal RBI single trimmed the difference to 5-2 in the sixth inning, and Ali Schauer chased home a run in the top of the seventh, but NNU couldn't muster any more, leaving a pair of runners aboard in both the late innings.

Kylie Orr, Lisa Sylvester and Abigail Otto each had a pair of hits for the Crusaders in the first game of the day.

The Crusader offense continued to do well early in the nightcap as a Schauer ground ball drove in the game's first run in the top of the first, but NNU's attack then stalled as the Crusaders managed just five more base-runners the rest of the game.

The Saints tied it, 1-1, in the bottom of the second inning, took the lead with three runs in the third and iced the win with a pair of runs in the fifth, completing the day's sweep.

Sylvester again had a pair of hits to lead NNU, which is home next Friday and Saturday to host doubleheaders against Western Oregon, the home finales for the Crusaders.

"We will keep working on driving those runs in and get back to preparing for next weekend," Wagner said, looking ahead as NNU sits just two games back of the fourth place in the GNAC standings. The top four teams in the league at the end of the season advance to the postseason tournament.