BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Northwest Nazarene softball stumbled on day one of GNAC play on Thursday, falling to Western Washington 3-2 and 10-1 in the conference-opening doubleheader.
Game One
NNU got on the board right away in the top of the first, as
Ivy Hommel drew a one-out walk and came all the way around to score on a double from
Sidney Booth. The Nighthawks added one more two batters later, when
Tori Hensley drove in Booth with a sacrifice fly.
The Vikings would respond with single runs in the second, third, and fourth, though, to take a 3-2 lead.
NNU threatened in the top of the sixth, putting runners on first and second with two outs, but could not score as WWU held on for the one-run victory.
Booth went six innings on the mound, allowing two earned runs with one strikeout.
Game Two
The second game was all WWU early, as the Vikings scored one run in both the first and second innings before a six-spot in the third.
NNU got a run in the top of the fourth on an
Emma Mulligan RBI double, but WWU added two more in the bottom of the inning to take a nine-run lead and set up the game to end on the run-rule after the fifth.
Charlotte Forniss started for NNU, allowing five earned runs in 2.2 innings.
Ivy Hommel and
Emma Mulligan each had two hits offensively.
Next Up
The Nighthawks and Vikings will play two more tomorrow to wrap up the series. First pitch of the opener is set for 11:00 a.m. Pacific.
