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NAMPA, Idaho — So close to victory, then it slipped away.

The Northwest Nazarene softball team came out strong in its battle for second place with visiting St. Martin's, and looked poised for a victory.

Then the Saints rallied with base hit after base hit, chipping away until they earned a final at-bat, 4-3 win over the host Crusaders, sparking a doubleheader sweep Friday at Halle Field as SMU won the nightcap, 6-2.

"We played six outstanding innings of softball, unfortunately, one bad inning cost us the game," NNU head coach Rich Wagner said of the opener.

"In game two, we didn't execute in some areas and that cost us," NNU's skipper added. "We need to win the game-changing plays tomorrow."

The two teams meet again in another GNAC doubleheader Saturday at noon at Halle Field, as NNU (19-21 overall, 9-9 GNAC) will look to even the season series and put the two teams back into a second-place tie in the league race.
 

The Crusaders were poised to take sole control of second place in the day's opener as Shelbie Martinez doubled in a run in the bottom of the third inning, Lily Pascal made it 2-0 with an RBI sacrifice fly in the fourth, then Brittany Genuardi hit a solo home run for a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the fifth.

It looked to be plenty for NNU starting pitcher Brooke Bonsen, who allowed just three hits over the first six innings.

"In game one, Brooke gave us a great opportunity to win," Wagner said.

But in the top of the seventh, base hit after base hit allowed the Saints (18-12, 10-6) to chip away, eventually plating the go-ahead run on a two-out, two-run Jackie Schmaeling single to left field.

It proved to be a momentum-stealing rally that NNU couldn't answer in the bottom half of the inning as game one slipped away.

The Crusaders shook off the disappointing opening setback and grabbed a 2-0 lead in the nightcap, though, as Anna Olson and Rae Young each had RBI singles in the bottom of the second inning, but the lead didn't last.

The Saints rallied for three runs in the top of the fourth, then again for three more in the fifth inning to complete the day's sweep.

Lauren Bassett led NNU's offense going 4-for-7 in the twinbill, including racking up three hits in the nightcap for NNU, which also got a pair of hits in the opener from Lisa Sylvester, who was 3-for-6 on the day.