IRVINE, Calif. – Northwest Nazarene softball won their final game of the Concordia Kickoff Classic 1-0 over Cal State San Bernardino thanks to a no-hitter from
Sidney Booth as NNU split the final day of the tournament after falling to San Francisco State 5-3 in the early game.
The Nighthawks move to 1-4 on the season.
Game 1 vs San Francisco State
For the third time in the first four games, NNU got on the scoreboard first, scoring a run without registering a hit in the second inning.
Maia McNicoll led off the inning with a walk, moved to second on an error, stole third, and then scored on an RBI groundout from
Clarissa Moreno.
SFSU would answer with four runs in the bottom of the second, however, taking the three-run lead.
McNicoll would cut the deficit to one in the fifth with a two-RBI double that scored
Madison Felter and
Mari Kamemoto, but San Francisco added another run in the sixth and went on to take the 5-3 win.
Tori Hensley started in the circle for NNU and went 1.2 innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on three hits while striking out one.
Gina Skinner was solid over the final 4.1 frames, allowing just one run with one punchout.
Game 2 vs Cal State San Bernardino
The final game of the tournament belonged to
Sidney Booth, tossing a no-hitter and driving in the only run of the game in the 1-0 win.
Booth nearly notched a perfect game as she went seven innings without allowing a hit, walk, or hit-by-pitch, as CSUSB's only baserunner reached on an error in the sixth inning. She finished with three strikeouts, with three groundouts, and 15 flyouts to complete the stunning 21-out performance.
Booth helped out her cause from the plate in the third inning, recording a two-out RBI single to score
Kellcie Adams from third.
That proved to be all the offense NNU would need to grab their first win of the 2023 season.
Next Up
NNU will stay in California for six more games next week, starting with a doubleheader at Azusa Pacific on Monday.
