NAMPA, Idaho – Northwest Nazarene softball earned a split with Saint Martin's on Friday as
Madison Felter delivered a walk-off homer to win 6-5 in game two after a narrow 2-1 loss in game one.
The Nighthawks move to 27-15 on the season and 15-3 in GNAC play, keeping their lead in the conference ahead of the second-place Saints at 9-5.
Game 1
NNU got on the board first in the opener, as
Clarissa Moreno led off with a single and eventually came around to score on a two-out RBI single down the right-field line from
Abigail Gagnon.
Saint Martin's would even the score at one in the third, though, and then took the lead with what proved to be the game-winning run in the fourth.
The Nighthawks had a great chance to score in the bottom of the sixth, loading the bases with just one out. However, the Saints made a pitching change that proved to be effective, as the new hurler struck out the next two NNU batters to end the threat.
Sidney Booth went the distance in the circle, allowing two runs on six hits with seven strikeouts to three walks. She also went 2-4 with a double, notching the only other hits for NNU besides the pair from Moreno and Gagnon in the first inning.
Game 2
The Nighthawks were again the first to score in the nightcap, tallying another first-inning run as
Maia McNicoll launched her 10
th homer of the season over the scoreboard in left.
SMU got a home run of their own in the bottom of the second, but theirs was a two-run shot to put the Saints up 2-1.
The lead seesawed back to the Nighthawks in the third, as with one out Booth and Gagnon knocked back-to-back singles before
Charlotte Forniss drove them both in with a double to center that made it 3-2.
Saint Martin's responded again in the fifth, scoring three times to take a 5-3 lead. The Nighthawks would bounce back yet again, though, as Booth came through in the clutch with a two-out, two-RBI single to even the game at 5-5.
One inning later, the heroics came from
Madison Felter as she led off the bottom of the seventh with a walk-off homer to deep center field.
Tori Hensley tossed the first five innings for NNU, allowing five runs on five hits with four strikeouts.
Gina Skinner pitched well in relief, going a scoreless two frames without allowing a hit.
Booth notched two hits for the second-straight game, bringing her total on the day to a 4-8 effort.
Next Up
NNU and SMU will battle in two more games tomorrow on Senior Day. After that, the regular season wraps up on the road at Western Oregon.
