Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 NAMPA, Idaho – The Northwest Nazarene University softball team has always had the talent.

This season, they've added the chemistry and now the wins have followed.

The Nighthawks swept Central Washington on Saturday, winning 7-3 in both contests to move into a tie for first place in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.

"I knew we would get there sooner or later," NNU junior Rylee Thomas said. "I played with half of this team growing up and I knew the talent we had, it was just the chemistry that needed to come together and we have done that this year."

The Nighthawks (22-19 overall, 13-7 GNAC) have now won nine of their last 12 GNAC games with eight regular-season games remaining. NNU has a three-game lead on the fifth-place team with eight games to go, so if the Nighthawks can play solid down the stretch the postseason awaits for the first time.

"Notoriously, they are the top dogs," junior Anna Williams said of Central Washington (25-12, 13-7). "Having them come into our house and taking three from them is absolutely awesome."

Williams and Thomas played big roles in the sweep Saturday.

Williams had a double, triple and three RBIs in the opening-win and a solo homer in the nightcap, while Thomas started for the first time since March 1 and earned the win in the circle.

"I was more excited that I was getting to start against the No. 1 team in the conference," Thomas said. "I was like, 'OK. You got this. It's a big crowd, just go out there and do your best.'"

Thomas threw five innings, allowing one run on three hits. Rae Young and Jordan Adams finished it out, with Adams earning her first save of the season.

"That was huge," Williams said of Thomas. "I think that will just carry on into the rest of our second games. It doesn't matter that Jordan isn't in the circle, whoever is in the circle is still going to give us a chance to win."

Adams was at her usual dominant self, allowing two earned runs on five hits with one walk and three strikeouts while earning her 14th win of the season. Her two runs allowed actually raised her GNAC-leading ERA to 1.54 on the season.

It didn't matter, though, as the Nighthawks took care of business at the plate in both games.

"We took advantage of opportunities and finished today," Williams said. "I've been putting in a lot of hard work and it is finally paying off. I'm so happy to be backing up the team."

Cassidy Fifield, Kylie Orr, Brittany Genuardi and Anna Olson all had doubles in the nightcap, with Genuardi driving in two runs. Lisa Sylvester was 2-for-3 and Lily Paschal 1-for-2 in their final home games.

In the opener, Williams was 2-for-3 with three RBIs. Fifield was 3-for-4 with two runs scored and a stolen base, while Orr had a double and two RBIs.