MONMOUTH, Ore. - Northwest Nazarene softball kept their momentum rolling with two close victories over Western Oregon on Saturday, 1-0 and 3-1.

NNU finishes the regular season at 33-15 overall and 21-3 in GNAC play, winners of seven in a row and 27 of their last 32 to enter the GNAC Championships as one of the hottest teams in the West.
 
Earlier in the week, a Saint Martin's loss guaranteed the Nighthawks the 2023 GNAC regular season title for the third-straight season as well as the top seed in the conference tournament, which will take place from May 4-6 on the campus of Simon Fraser in Burnaby, B.C. 
 
Game 1
 
Sidney Booth dominated the Wolves for the second day in a row in Saturday's opener, allowing just four hits with no walks while striking out six. Of those four baserunners, only one reached as far as second base.
 
NNU's bats were quiet as well, registering four hits, but the Nighthawks drew eight walks to put plenty of runners on base. Eleven of those runners were left on the basepaths, but all NNU needed was one that scored in the top of the seventh.
 
In the seventh, Clarissa Moreno and Tori Hensley led off the inning with back-to-back walks. Two outs later, Abigail Gagnon knocked a single into right field to score Hensley for the game's only run.
 
Game 2
 
The Nighthawks and Wolves engaged in another pitchers' duel in game two, with neither team getting on the board until the fifth inning. Western Oregon got the game's first run on a solo shot in the bottom of the fifth.
 
NNU answered immediately, though, as a Maia McNicoll double, Booth single, and Madison Felter walk loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the sixth. Emma Bumatay came through in the clutch, drilling a double to right field to clear the bases and give the Nighthawks a 3-1 advantage.
 
One swing of the bat provided all the offense NNU would need for the second straight game, as the duo of Tori Hensley and Gina Skinner held the Wolves to just the one run on six hits. Hensley started and threw a scoreless four frames before Skinner came in for the final three innings.
 
Next Up
 
NNU will head to Burnaby, British Columbia for the GNAC Championships next week, opening action on Thursday against the four-seed, who will be determined after the final games across the conference are played on Sunday.
  Read Full Article