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BELMONT, Calif. — The Crusaders came out swinging and never let up, and now have a legitimate win streak rolling.

Northwest Nazarene's offense awoke in a big way as the Crusader softball team plated 27 runs and scored in 11 of 12 innings on Wednesday to rout host Notre Dame de Namur, 14-2 in five innings and 13-6 in a nonconference doubleheader.

"Our offense took a big step forward with a big day," NNU head softball coach Rich Wagner said. "I am really happy with our at-bats today; we battled when we had two strikes and came up with big hits all day, and our girls did a much better job with runners in scoring position."

The onslaught started early for NNU (6-7 overall), as Cassidy Fifield and Rae Young led off the day with back-to-back singles, then Fifield stole her first of four bases on the day and scored on an error.

Young later scored on a wild pitch, then both Shelbie Martinez and Lisa Sylvester crossed the plate on an Abigail Otto RBI single and error, pushing the Crusaders out in front 4-0 before the host Argonauts — playing their first game of the season — grabbed a bat.

Notre Dame de Namur did little against NNU pitcher Brooke Bonsen (4-3), though, as she struck out two and scattered four hits in the five-inning win.

Kylie Orr added an RBI groundout in the second inning, Anna Olson singled home a run in the third and Brittany Genuardi had an RBI double in the fourth to put NNU on top, 7-2.

Then the Crusaders iced it with a seven-run rally in the top of the fifth as Genuardi singled home two, and Fifield, Young, Martinez and Sylvester each added an RBI.

The NNU offense continued to slug away in the nightcap as a Genuardi RBI double gave the Crusaders a 1-0 lead after a half inning, Fifield had an RBI sacrifice fly in the second, and Orr hit a solo homer in the third.

Orr added her second home run of the game in her next at-bat, a three-run shot in the top of the fourth inning, while Otto plated two more and Madison Strickler had an RBI double in a six-run explosion that put the Crusaders up, 9-0.

The Argonauts answered with a five-run eruption of their own in the bottom of the fourth, making the nightcap a bit more dramatic and forcing NNU to pull away with a Genuardi RBI single in the fifth, then a three-run rally in the seventh highlighted by an Orr RBI double and a two-run homer by Genuardi.

Genuardi finished the day an eye-popping 6-for-9 with a home run and seven RBIs in the twinbill, while Fifield was 4-for-5 with four stolen bases, eight runs scored and two RBIs.

Equally impressive was Orr, who went 3-for-9 with two homers and six RBIs, and Otto, who was 3-for-5 with 3 RBIs.

"Cassidy did a great job setting the table and Kylie and Brittany continue to come up big for us," Wagner said. "The whole team contributed today and we showed a ton of passion." 

Rylee Thomas (2-1) did her part in the circle, like Bonsen in game one, as Thomas struck out five opposing batters, scattered four hits and allowed just one unearned run in six innings work in the nightcap to earn her second victory in two days for the Crusaders, who now have swept back-to-back doubleheaders as NNU beat San Francisco State 4-2, in 9 innings, and 3-2 on Tuesday.

"Brooke and Rylee pitched great today and gave us a chance to win two games," Wagner said.

The second straight sweep sends the Crusaders home on a high note as they prepare for their home opener when NNU hosts Eastern Oregon next Friday and Saturday, Feb. 24-25,  at Halle Field as the Crusaders look to extend their longest win streak since February 2013.