NAMPA, Idaho - The Nighthawks just keep finding new ways to win. Northwest Nazarene softball swept Western Oregon on Saturday, taking game one 8-0 behind a masterful pitching performance from Jackie Vargas before scratching out a 6-5 victory in the 10th inning of game two on a walk-off, bases-loaded walk.

With the wins, NNU earns the 3-1 series victory over WOU, and improves to an impressive 17-3 through their first 20 games of the season.

The Nighthawks remain at 4-0 in GNAC play with this weekend's series not counting towards conference competition, but they will jump right back into conference play next weekend when they visit these same Wolves for four games in Monmouth, Oregon.

Game One: NNU 8, WOU 0 (6 inn.)

Vargas left little doubt of the outcome in game one, spinning a two-hit shutout through six innings of work. She also walked just one batter and struck out three, improving her season record to 4-0 in the circle.

After struggling to get on the scoreboard for much of yesterday's games, NNU took the lead almost immediately as Maia McNicoll launched a three-run homer to left in the bottom of the first inning. She would add another run in the third on a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Brittany Genuardi. One batter later, Madison Strickler blasted her first home run of the season, a two-run shot just fair down the left-field line that scored Sidney Booth and put NNU up 6-0.

The Nighthawks added runs in the fourth and then the sixth to end the game early via the eight-run rule. Tori Hensley scored the final run, racing home from third on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Booth.

Genuardi was 3-3 in the opener with two runs scored and a walk, while Booth tallied two hits, scored twice, and walked once. McNicoll finished with four total RBI to lead NNU. All nine starters in NNU's lineup recorded at least one hit in the win.

Game Two: NNU 6, WOU 5 (10 inn.)

The second game looked to be a high-scoring affair after one inning, as Western Oregon tallied twice in the top of the first and NNU responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning. Genuardi and Booth opened the Nighthawk scoring with back-to-back RBI singles, followed by Genuardi coming home on a bases-loaded double play.

Things quieted down from there, though, with neither team scoring between the second and fourth innings. NNU finally broke the drought in the bottom of the fifth, and Genuardi did it in a loud way by belting a two-run homer over the scoreboard in left-center field to extend the lead to 5-2.

The Wolves mounted a comeback in the top of the sixth, though, pushing across three runs to tie the game and chase NNU starter McNicoll. She went 5.1 innings, allowing just six innings but five runs, also walking five. Freshman Gina Skinner entered in relief to get the final two outs of the sixth, and would go the rest of the way for the Nighthawks.

The rest of the way ended up being much longer than anyone anticipated, as Skinner and WOU's Reilly Tidwell blanked both offenses through the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings. Deep into extra innings, the 10th frame brought into play the international tiebreaker, placing a runner on second base to start each inning.

Skinner worked out of her jam with ease in the top of the inning, starting by getting the first batter to ground out back to her that advance the runner to third. Next was a grounder to short that Hommel picked up, looked the runner back to third, and fired to first. She then got out of the inning by getting the next Wolves' hitter to fly out to center.

NNU then scored the winning run without recording an out, as Strickler started on second, Nicole Zuvela walked, and Abigail Gagnon reached on a throwing error to load the bases. Audree Montmeny then pinch-hit, and proceeded to draw a walk-off-walk to end the game.

Skinner tossed the final 4.2 innings without allowing a run to earn her first collegiate victory. She also didn't walk a batter and struck out one. Genuardi was 2-4 with three RBI, finishing the day with a 5-7 mark from the plate. Booth and Strickler each added two hits in the nightcap.