ST. GEORGE, Utah – The Northwest Nazarene softball team struggled in the early going of Saturday's game and it cost them.

The Nighthawks lost 12-5 to Fort Lewis College in the final game of the Courtyard Classic Dixie State Softball Tournament in Utah.

NNU trailed 12-1 in the fourth and nearly lost by the mercy rule after five innings, before scratching across three runs in the fifth to at least force the game to go seven innings.

"The biggest thing for me was that our team never once let down," NNU coach Rich Wagner said. "They were battling all day. We feel like we are never out of of it and that is great."

Anna Williams finished 4-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI, Abigail Otto drove in two runs, and Ivy Hommel and Madison Strickler each drove in one.

Maia McNicoll allowed eight runs on seven hits in three innings. Fellow freshmen Ashley Bliss and Ashlee Schriever teamed up with Jackie Vargas to allow no runs in the final three innings.

"We've got a lot of young kids who are learning and as a team we are learning preparation," Wagner said. "Those first couple of innings we need to do a better job of being ready and being the better team.

"The bats came alive, but they came alive late."

The Nighthawks (5-3 overall) will stay in Utah over the weekend, playing Dixie State in a doubleheader Monday before returning home.