NAMPA, Idaho - Northwest Nazarene softball earned a split with Whitworth on Saturday, taking game one 9-5 before falling in game two 14-11.

The bats were definitely clicking on both sides, as there were 39 runs and 52 hits recorded between the two teams on the day. 

Following the doubleheader, NNU moves to 6-2 on the year after taking both of their first two series by 3-1 margins. The Nighthawks will remain at home next weekend, hosting MSU-Billings in what is scheduled to be a four-game non-conference set on March 12 and 13.

Game One: NNU 9, Whitworth 5

NNU scored nine runs on 11 hits in the opener, putting up seven of those runs between the fourth and sixth innings to pull away from the Pirates.

Both teams scored twice in the first inning, with the Nighthawk runs coming on RBI singles from Tori Hensley and Madison Felter. After the second and third frames went by scoreless, Whitworth tacked on a run in the top of the fourth to take a 3-2 lead.

NNU responded right away in the bottom of the inning, though, starting with an Abigail Gagnon solo homer to left to even the score. Ivy Hommel then gave the Nighthawks their first lead of the game with a two-RBI double to left. The lead would hold, as NNU added two runs in both the fifth and sixth innings, with RBIs coming from Madison Strickler, Felter, Hensley, and Strickler again.

Jackie Vargas started on the mound for NNU, going 3.1 innings with three strikeouts and receiving a no decision. Sidney Booth (3-0) got the win after coming in during the top of the fourth, pitching the final 3.2 innings and allowing just two runs while striking out four.

Hensley finished the game 3-4 from the plate with two RBI. Hommel, Strickler, and Felter each also added a pair of runs batted in.

Game Two: Whitworth 14, NNU 11

Game two was a wild, high-scoring affair, with the two teams combining for 25 runs and 36 hits. Seven runs were scored in the first inning, four by the Pirates and three by the Nighthawks, all coming on one swing as Sidney Booth launched a three-run homer to left center.

Whitworth would add a run in the second, though, to take a 5-3 lead after two. The third inning was even wilder than the first, taking nearly an hour to complete with six runs from Whitworth and seven from NNU. Maia McNicoll doubled home a run to open NNU's rally, followed by a bases-loaded walk to Butterfield and an RBI groundout from Dominique Trevino to bring the deficit to 11-6. Hommel then cut it all the way down to one in an instant, blasting a grand slam to left center to make it 11-10 in favor of the Pirates.

The Pirates would not relinquish the lead, though, scoring three more runs over the final four frames while NNU only managed to pick up one more tally on a Brittany Genuardi sacrifice fly. 

Hommel finished 3-5 with four RBI in the game, while Booth was 2-3 with three RBI.