Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 NAMPA, Idaho – With one mighty swing, sophomore Brittany Genuardi may have turned the Northwest Nazarene softball team's season around.

The right-handed hitter blasted a 1-0 pitch over the right-center field wall to give the Nighthawks a come-from-behind 7-6 win in nine innings against Western Oregon to cap a sweep of their GNAC doubleheader Friday. NNU won the opener 7-0.

The win also moved NNU (19-18 overall, 10-6 GNAC) into second place alone in the GNAC with two-time defending champion Central Washington coming to town next week.

"It's amazing," Genuardi said. "It not just amazing for me, but amazing for the team. We battled all weekend and I just wanted to do it for them."

This win was about more than just one swing of the bat, though.

It took dominant relief pitching by Rylee Thomas and Jordan Adams. It took a clutch two-out single by Genuardi to tie the game in the sixth inning. And it took a strong throw from Cassidy Fifield in center field to nab speedy Tyler Creach at the plate to end the top of the eighth and keep the game tied.

"This is huge," Fifield said of the win. "I feel like it was such a team effort. Jordan threw a great game, Rylee threw a great game, Jackie (Vargas) threw a great game. We have everybody hitting in runs. Everybody making outstanding plays. And then Brit hits a bomb at the end.

"It's amazing. We're coming together. I think this is the turning point … we are meshing."

Fifield's play was the throw of the year according to one teammate. She took a rocket line drive on one hop and made a strong throw to the plate. The ball easily beat Creach and she seemed a bit surprised and didn't even attempt a slide.

"I saw her coach tell her a few pitches before that she was running," Fifield said. "I knew she was going. I came through the ball and threw it in. I was so in the moment. I feel like with this team the energy was amazing."

The teams then traded scoreless innings before Genuardi led off the bottom of the ninth. She took a ball and then hammered an outside pitch over the wall.

"They had been throwing me outside all weekend," she said. "My pitch is the inside pitch and I knew it wouldn't come up. I was looking for the away pitch and I was finally able to go bang on it."

Adams got the win in relief, allowing three hits with no walks and three strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings. Thomas gave up one run on three hits in 3 1/3 innings of relief.

Genuardi finished 4-for-5 with three RBIs, while Lisa Sylvester was 2-for-4 with an RBI.

In the opener, Sylvester had a run-scoring single and a two-run double, Anna Williams hit a solo homer and Genuardi had a three-run triple.

Adams struck out four, walked none and scattered five hits in the shutout to earn another victory.