NAMPA, Idaho – Northwest Nazarene softball opened GNAC play with a pair of victories on Thursday, defeating Montana State Billings 6-3 and 4-1.
The Nighthawks improve to 11-10 on the season and 2-0 in conference play.
Game 1
NNU got on the board first in the bottom of the opening inning, with
Madison Felter bringing home
Clarissa Moreno with an RBI single. MSU Billings scored twice in the top of the third, though, to take a 2-1 lead.
The Nighthawks would answer back immediately, tallying four runs in the bottom of the third.
Maia McNicoll blasted a two-run homer, followed by a
Charlotte Forniss two-run double later in the frame.
Both teams would tack on one run in the sixth before NNU took the 6-3 victory.
Sidney Booth went the distance in the circle with a complete-game win, allowing five hits and striking out 10. Felter and
Tori Hensley both had two hits in the game.
Game 2
The second game was scoreless until the bottom of the third, when McNicoll launched her second home run of the day, this time a three-run blast to right center.
MSUB got one back in the fourth on an RBI groundout, but the Nighthawks erased it with another run of their own in the sixth on an RBI single from Hensley.
Hensley took care of business at the plate and in the circle, getting the complete-game win after allowing just the one run on five hits while striking out four.
McNicoll was 3-3 with a run scored and the three RBIs, while Hensley added two more hits.
Next Up
NNU and MSUB have two games left in their GNAC-opening doubleheader, scheduled for Saturday at noon.
