NAMPA, Idaho – The Northwest Nazarene softball program had pulled out all the stops for the final regular-season doubleheader Saturday against Western Washington.

There were 10 numbers painted on the grass behind home plate. Streamers in the dugout. A special ceremony awaited after the games.

The Nighthawks (27-22 overall, 16-12 GNAC) were prepared to honor 10 seniors who had helped build this program from the ground up.

But it was a pair of freshmen who delivered in the clutch to help NNU earn its second consecutive playoff berth.

Freshman Maia McNicoll delivered a walkoff fielder's choice and Ashlee Schriever pitched out of a bases loaded, no out jam as NNU rallied for an 8-7 victory. Western won the second game 4-0.

"What can you say about those two? I think it's incredible," senior Kylie Orr said. "It says a lot about this team that we trust anyone top to bottom and that we are always ready to get the job done.

"Truthfully it was so fun, as a senior, to take a step back and watch the people who have this program in their hands and that it is going to continue to be special."

NNU trailed 7-1 in the fourth and its playoff hopes appeared to be dimming, but this team has been resilient all season and showed that again Saturday.

After tying the game at 7-7 in the bottom of the sixth on an Anna Williams double, Schriever gave up a bunt single. The next batter then reached on an error and Riley Wales reached on a fielder's choice to load the bases with no outs.

Schriever didn't panic, though. She had been in this position before and escaped and she did it again when it mattered most.

"It was a very stressful situation," she said. "I just had to trust my defense and my abilities and know that we were capable of getting those outs."

Schriever induced a pop out on the first batter, then Anna Olson stabbed a liner at short and the next batter flew out harmlessly to right field.

At that point, it seemed it was just a matter of when – not if – the Nighthawks would win the game.

Brittany Genuardi led off the bottom of the seventh with a walk. Madalyn Smith pinch ran and moved to second on a bunt. Shelbie Martinez then singled to put runners on the corners and bring up McNicoll in a pinch hit situation.

McNicoll only had 27 at bats on the season to that point, primarily being used as a third pitcher.

Coach Rich Wagner said he gave McNicoll one swing to put the ball in play and if she didn't, they would attempt a squeeze bunt.

Instead, McNicoll slapped the ball to second base and Smith was off on contact, easily sliding in before the throw reached home.

"It felt good to know that I helped the seniors out," McNicoll said. "I have a good relationship with them and they mean a lot to me, so I wanted to do something special for them."

And she did just that as NNU clinched just the second playoff berth in program history. The GNAC Softball Championships will be held Thursday-Saturday at Concordia in Portland, Ore.

"I think this team showed that they were very, very resilient," Wagner said. "We knew this weekend was going to be a grind and we did our best and the outcome was great."

The Nighthawks rallied thanks to a Martinez sacrifice fly and an Olson run-scoring single in the fourth inning to make it 7-3.

In the fifth, Abigail Otto reached on an error that scored two runs to make it 7-5. Martinez then doubled in a run to make it 7-6.

In the sixth, Olson reached on a walk and moved up on a bunt. Williams then delivered a two-out double to tie the game and set up the dramatic seventh inning.

Williams finished 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs and a home run. Martinez was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and Olson was 1-for-2 with a run and an RBI.