BILLINGS, Mont. – Northwest Nazarene softball brought out the bats and the brooms on Saturday against Montana State Billings, scoring 30 runs and hitting eight home runs in two wins as they defeated the Yellowjackets 14-2 and 16-9.
The Nighthawks improve to 21-15 overall and 9-3 in the GNAC, while MSUB falls to 11-28 and 4-12 in conference play.
Game One
The Nighthawks wasted no time getting on the board, as
Sidney Booth launched a three-run homer in the top of the first inning. MSUB got one back in the bottom of the inning, but NNU would respond with five runs in the second.
Tori Hensley was the first to score on an error, followed by an
Ivy Hommel RBI single to make it 5-1. Hommel then scored on another error, before
Maia McNicoll drilled a two-run homer to extend the lead to 8-1.
Hommel added a sacrifice fly in the third, and Hensley and
Gina Skinner each drove in a run in the fourth to make it 11-2 in favor of the Nighthawks. Booth would cap the scoring in the top of the fifth, knocking her second three-run home run of the game.
Booth finished the game 2-3 with a walk and six RBIs from the two homers. McNicoll was 3-4 with two RBIs, while Hommel scored three times and drove in a pair of runs.
Booth also started the game and went just two innings, allowing two earned runs and striking out three. Skinner tossed the final three frames before the run-rule came into effect, earning the win after allowing just three hits and no runs while striking out seven.
Game Two
NNU scored first in game two as Hommel hit a solo homer in the top of the first, but the Yellowjackets hit a couple of home runs of their own in the bottom of the inning and scored five runs to go up 5-1.
McNicoll tied things up in the third with just one swing of the bat, hitting a grand slam to make it 5-5 before a sacrifice fly from Hensley put the Nighthawks on top.
NNU still led 9-8 after four innings, before Hommel hit another solo home run and McNicoll notched her second of the game as well with a two-run shot in the fifth to build the lead to 12-8.
Booth drove in a run with a single in the seventh, before
Charlotte Forniss put the game away for good with a three-run bomb that pushed the lead to 16-9, where it would finish.
McNicoll finished the game 2-3 with three runs scored, seven RBIs, and two walks. Hommel was also 5-5 from the plate and scored five times, while Booth was 4-4 and scored three times. Forniss and Hensley each had multi-hit games as well with two apiece.
Gina Skinner started for NNU and went just one inning, allowing four earned runs. Forniss pitched 2.1 innings in relief before Hensley finished things off in the circle with just one run allowed and seven strikeouts in the final 3.2 frames.
Next Up
The Nighthawks will be back home next weekend, hosting Western Oregon for four games on April 15 & 16.
