NAMPA, Idaho – Completing a series sweep on Saturday afternoon at Halle Field, host Northwest Nazarene University took both ends of a doubleheader against the Montana State University Billings softball team in non-conference play.
 
The Nighthawks (10-2) picked up a 16-8 victory in six innings in the opening game Saturday, before following with an 8-1 triumph in the series finale. The Yellowjackets (3-9) had their best offensive game of the weekend in the opener, but couldn't rally to salvage a win in the series. Saturday's games did not count in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference standings.
 
Allie Hughes hit her team-leading fourth home run of the year and Morgan Quimby hit her first of the season in Game 1. "We responded in the first game after NNU had a couple of big innings, and the girls fought hard throughout the game," said MSUB head coach Lisa McKinney. "We came out pressing too hard in the beginning of Game 2, but settled in after the third. Our team continued to battle. Overall NNU did a good job of finding the holes and eventually more of our hits will find the holes too."
 
Game 1 – Northwest Nazarene 16, MSU Billings 8 (6 Innings)
 
The Yellowjacket offense struck in the top of the first inning, with Fisher delivering an RBI-single to give her team the lead. Hughes followed with a sacrifice fly to make it a 2-0 score to start the afternoon.
 
NNU put together a big bottom of the second inning, which was highlighted by a grand slam off the bat of Abigail Gagnon. Ivy Hommel followed with a two-run triple, and the Nighthawks had a 7-2 lead by the end of the frame.
 
Gagnon led off the third inning with a double, and six runs later the Nighthawks increased their advantage to 11 runs. Sydney Booth had a two-run single and three more Nighthawks had RBIs in the inning.
 
Hughes led off the fourth with a solo home run, keying a top of the fourth that helped the 'Jackets get back into the game. Taylor Anderson had a two-run double, Quimby hit a solo shot, and Fisher capped the six-run rally with an RBI-double to make it a 13-8 ballgame.
 
Alyssa Etheridge got her team out of a jam in the bottom of the fourth, ending the inning with a strikeout to strand the bases loaded and keep the deficit at six runs.
 
After plating one run in the bottom of the fifth, NNU ended the game on a single by Madison Strickler that brought the spread to eight runs in the sixth.
 
Game 2 – Northwest Nazarene 8, MSU Billings 1
 
The Nighthawks took command early, building an 8-0 lead by the bottom of the third inning, and ran away with the series finale.
 
Emilie Hernandez had a three-run double in the bottom of the first, before three different NNU hitters had RBIs in the three-run second inning. The hosts capped their scoring in the game in the third inning, using an error and a sacrifice fly by Hommel to pull ahead 8-0.
 
Booth meanwhile allowed just five hits in the complete-game effort, while striking out 10 and walking two to earn the victory in the circle. The lone blemish against the NNU pitcher came in the fourth inning, when Anderson drove in Shelby Marquardt with an RBI-double.
 
For MSUB, starter Julia Qualteri gave up seven runs on two hits with one strikeout and seven walks in two innings of work. Freshman Jenna Kister was effective over the final four innings of play, allowing one unearned run on four hits with two strikeouts and a walk.
 
THE BUZZ: Fisher was selected as the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Day…the home run was the 23rd of Fisher's career…MSUB is now 55-24 overall against NNU and is 25-17 in road games against the Nighthawks.
 
AHEAD: MSUB opens Great Northwest Athletic Conference play next weekend with a four-game home series against Central Washington University. Doubleheaders are scheduled for March 20 and 21 at Avitus Group Stadium, with live video available online here and live statistics available online here.