TUCSON, Ariz. – Northwest Nazarene softball went 2-1 on their final day of the Desert Stinger, falling to Regis but bouncing back with wins over Cal State Dominguez Hills and Academy of Art.
Game One
The Nighthawks drew first blood in the early-morning opener as
Emma Mulligan and
Ivy Hommel led off the game with back-to-back walks, Mulligan advanced to third on a
Maia McNicoll flyout, and then Hommel and Mulligan converted a double steal of second and home.
Regis tied things up in the bottom of the second, though, as a two-out error cost the Nighthawks a run. NNU's best chance to break the tie came in the top of the sixth as they loaded the bases with just one out, but a 1-2-3 double play ended the threat.
The Rangers were able to walk the game off in the bottom of the seventh, as with two outs a hit-by-pitch, single, and double ended the contest.
Charlotte Forniss pitched very well, allowing just the two runs (one earned) with one strikeout over 6.2 innings.
Sidney Booth had two of NNU's five hits at the plate.
Game Two
Both pitchers put zeroes on the board in the first two innings, before NNU was able to push a run across in the bottom of the third on a sacrifice fly from
Emma Mulligan. NNU plated three more in the fourth, as
Charlotte Forniss found a gap with a two-run single and
Nicole Zuvela launched a ground-rule double to add another run.
Dominguez Hills would not be shut out, however, hitting a two-run homer in the top of the fifth. That was all that the Toros would manage, though, as
Sidney Booth dominated the rest of the game in the circle.
Booth finished with the complete game win, going seven innings and allowing just three hits while striking out 10. Zuvela finished with two hits and two RBI to lead the offense.
Game Three
NNU's final game of the Desert Stinger was all Nighthawks, scoring 11 runs before recording an out and eventually 13 total in the first inning. In the frame, NNU scored on an error, walked in a run, had five RBI singles, an RBI double from
Abigail Gagnon, and a grand slam by
Ivy Hommel.
The Nighthawks would add one more in the second, two in the fourth, and three in the fifth before the game was called with the run rule.
Tori Hensley pitched the first four innings, allowing just four hits and striking out five.
Gina Skinner tossed the fifth to combine for the shutout, picking up a strikeout of her own.
Twelve different Nighthawks had a hit in the game and 10 had at least one RBI –
Emma Mulligan,
Ivy Hommel,
Sidney Booth,
Emilie Hernandez,
Mckenzie Oakes,
Mackenzie La Neve,
Charlotte Forniss,
Abigail Gagnon,
Madison Felter, and
Nicole Zuvela.
NNU set a new program record for margin of victory with the 19-point win, breaking the previous mark of 16 set twice, with the last time a 21-5 victory over Dominican in 2020. The win is also NNU's most runs scored in a shutout, with a 14-0 defeat of Simon Fraser in 2016 the previous high.
Next Up
Despite their run at the Desert Stinger coming to an end, the Nighthawks will stay in Arizona for two more games on Monday, playing at doubleheader at Arizona Christian.
