NAMPA, Idaho - Northwest Nazarene softball cruised to an 11-3 victory in game one before falling in a wild 7-6 decision in game two to split Thursday's doubleheader with Eastern Oregon.

After taking both games yesterday, the Nighthawks earn a 3-1 series victory in their first weekend of competition in 2021 and first home series since 2019.

Game One - NNU 11, EOU 3 (6 innings)

NNU flexed their muscle in game one, blasting a pair of three-run homers to rout the Mountaineers. Brittany Genuardi had the first, and finished the game with two hits, three RBI, and a walk. Ivy Hommel teed up the second, coming in the bottom of the sixth to push the Nighthawks' lead to eight runs and end the game via the run rule. Hommel finished with five total RBI, going 2-4 with a walk and three runs scored. 

Sidney Booth also had three hits for NNU, while Emma Mulligan tallied two hits and an RBI. 

Jackie Vargas went four strong innings to earn the win, allowing two runs on four hits and striking out five. Gina Skinner saw her first collegiate action on the mound for the final two innings, allowing one run on two hits.

Eastern Oregon did get on the board first with a run in the top of the opening inning, but NNU quickly overtook the Mountaineers with a four-run second. Tori Hensley scored the first run on a fielder's choice, followed by Genuardi's three-run bomb. 

EOU cut the lead to two with a run in the top of the third, but again the Nighthawks responded with an Emma Mulligan double to score Abigail Gagnon and put NNU up 5-2. After another one-run inning by the Mountaineers, NNU tallied three runs in the bottom of the fifth as Hommel, Genuardi, and Madison Strickler each picked up an RBI. Finally, Hommel's three-run homer in the bottom of the sixth ended the game to give NNU their third-straight win.

Game Two - EOU 7, NNU 6

The bats started quietly for both teams in game two with only three runs between the squads through the first six innings. NNU picked up two in the bottom of the third, as Hommel launched her second home run of the day and Nicole Zuvela took a bases-loaded walk. EOU got a run in the top of the sixth, cutting the deficit in half with one inning to play.

The seventh inning was quite the opposite, as the teams combined for 10 runs in a wild finish. Eastern Oregon recorded six of them on four timely hits, taking advantage of three walks and a Nighthawk error to take a 7-2 lead.

NNU did not go away quietly, though, putting together a rally to nearly come all the way back. Hommel walked to start the inning and came around to score in a Genuardi double. After a Maia McNicoll single, Emilie Hernandez drove home a run with a single to left. Two outs later, Ashley Bliss came up with a huge hit, singling to left to drive in two runs and cut the deficit to one. However, the Nighthawks were caught stealing on the basepaths to end the game.

Booth started the game and did not allow a run through the first five innings, finishing with 10 strikeouts. McNicoll and Hernandez both finished with two hits for the Nighthawks.