Thursday, May 6, 2021

MONMOUTH, Ore. – Getting on base wasn’t the problem. Advancing the runner was.

In the bottom of the seventh, senior Madison Strickler did just that with her one-out single to lift No. 1 seeded Northwest Nazarene to a 2-1 win over No. 4 seeded Western Oregon in the second game of the GNAC Softball Championships at Western Oregon University.

Senior Tori Hensley led off the inning with a single to right field and advanced to second on a wild pitch and third on a sacrifice but before Strickler delivered on a single to left that was the final shot in the second pitcher’s duel of the day.

Strickler and junior Ivy Hommel both finished 2 for 3 with an RBI as Northwest Nazarene improved to 29-10 on the season. With the win, the Nighthawks will face No. 2 seeded Western Washington on Saturday at 9:30 a.m. The Vikings defeated No. 4 seeded Saint Martin’s, 1-0, in Thursday’s opening game. The Saints and Wolves will face off in an elimination game on Friday at 12:30 p.m.

After being moved into the tournament field as Central Washington withdrew due to health and safety protocols, it looked as if the home field advantage would benefit Western Oregon (13-16). Senior Chandler Bishop opened the second with a solo home run to left-center field that put the Wolves up 1-0.

It proved to be the Wolves’ only run in the game. Western Oregon left eight runners on base from that point on despite putting the leadoff batter on base in the fifth and sixth innings.

The Nighthawks tied the game in the bottom of the third. Strickler led off the frame with a single and scored on back-to-back singles by Hommel and senior Brittany Genuardi.

Freshman Sidney Booth improved to 14-2 with the complete-game win, allowing the one run on four hits with three walks and eight strikeouts. Junior Maddie Mayer took the loss, allowing two runs on six hits with a walk and two strikeouts.