Snow topples Cards

SALT LAKE CITY - Snow College first baseman Heather Gardner hit two home runs and drove in six runs as the fifth-seeded Badgers defeated the fourth-seeded North Idaho Cardinals 14-12 in the opening round of the Region 18 tournament at Bruin Field.

Lauren Maloney was 4 for 5 with four RBIs and three runs scored for NIC (32-29), which faces Southern Nevada today at 11 a.m. PDT in a loser-out game.

Amanda Krier had a two-run single and Briggett Plenger hit a solo home run in a three-run second inning for NIC, which also got a solo home run from Jessica Ross in the fourth.

Symbree Minniear went 3 for 5 with four RBIs for Snow (22-29).

In Thursday's other games, it was Southern Nevada 5, Western Nevada 1; Southern Idaho 8, Southern Nevada 0; and Salt Lake 4, Snow 3.

Snow 320 243 0 - 14 19 5

North Idaho 232 122 0 - 12 14 4

Heather Black, Kandice Kirkham (6) and Jennifer Stanley; Kathy Comack, Alyssa Erickson (5) and Renae Kimbell, Shelby Gonzales (3). W - Black (12-15). L - Comack (13-12).

HITS: Snow - Hyland 3, Taylor, Minniear 3, Gardner 2, Stanley 2, Lewis, Mangleson 2, Kirkham, Gordon 4. NIC - Hawley 2, Maloney 4, Krier, Ross, Hartnett, Plenger, Gonzales, Stark, Springer, Reardon. 2B - Minniear 2, Maloney. 3B - Gordon. HR - Gardner 2 (9), Stanley (11), Ross (12), Plenger (6).