TURLOCK, Calif. – Northwest Nazarene softball shut out Cal State Monterey Bay 1-0 in Friday's opener, but ended the day with a split after falling to Cal Poly Humboldt 5-2.
The Nighthawks move to 18-12 on the season, and are still on a hot stretch having won 13 of their last 15 contests.
Game 1 vs. Cal State Monterey Bay
NNU took the lead right away in the top of the first, as with one out
Tori Hensley singled through the left side and came all the way around to score on a
Sidney Booth double.
That was all the scoring the Nighthawks would need, as Hensley and Booth also teamed up to hold the Otters to a one-hit shutout. Hensley went 5.1 innings, allowing the one hit and one walk while striking out five. Booth recorded the final five outs in order to earn the save, including one strikeout.
The pair also combined to retire CSUMB in order in five of the seven innings, with only one runner advancing as far as second base in the game. Hensley had two of NNU's three hits at the plate as well.
Game 2 vs. Cal Poly Humboldt
The game started as a pitchers' duel, with NNU's Booth and CPH's Gaige Garcia both putting up zeros on the scoreboard through the first four innings. The Lumberjacks would strike first, though, as a two-RBI triple in the fifth put CPH up 2-0.
The Nighthawks responded immediately in the top of the sixth, with
Abigail Gagnon bringing home Hensley on an RBI fielder's choice and
Charlotte Forniss scoring Booth with an RBI single.
Cal Poly Humboldt countered with three runs in the bottom of the inning, however, recording a three-run homer with two outs. That 5-2 score would hold to give the Lumberjacks the win.
Hensley, Booth, and Forniss each had two hits as NNU outhit CPH 9-7. Booth threw the first 5.2 innings, striking out five, before
Gina Skinner entered for the final out in the sixth.
Next Up
NNU has two more games on Saturday to close out the Tournament of Champions against Hawaii Pacific and Sonoma State.
