NIC SOFTBALL: Cardinals finish season with sweep

COEUR d'ALENE - Keku Haake had an RBI single in the first inning and hit a walk-off grand slam in the fifth inning as the North Idaho College Cardinals beat the Big Bend Vikings 10-0 in the first game of a Northwest Athletic Conference doubleheader on Saturday at Memorial Field.

Tori Almos struck out eight in the opener for NIC.

NIC scored nine runs in the bottom of the second inning in a 12-1 win in the second game.

Miranda Powless hit a three-run double in the second inning of the second game for NIC, which finishes its first season in the conference 41-6 overall, 29-3 in the NWAC. NIC, making the transition from the NJCAA, is ineligible for postseason play this season as some players are still on the more-expensive NJCAA scholarships.

Lauren Schwalbach, a former Lakeland standout who recently signed with Eastern Oregon, had a lead-off single in the first inning of the first game for Big Bend, which finished 13-33, 7-23.

FIRST GAME

Big Bend 000 00 - 0 4 0

North Idaho 301 24 - 10 11 0

Game called in 5th inning due to 8-run rule.

Alexis Spence and Tifani Schorzman; Tori Almos and Jammie Madonna. W - Almos. L - Spence.

HITS: BB - Schwalbach, Martin, Howell, Spence. NIC - Hayl. Fields, Anthony 2, Hayd. Fields 2, McIntosh 2, Haake 2, Madonna, Powless. 2B - Schwalbach, Hayd. Fields, Haake. 3B - McIntosh. HR - Anthony, Powless, Haake.

SECOND GAME

Big Bend 100 00 - 1 6 0

North Idaho 390 0x - 12 15 1

Game called in 5th inning due to 8-run rule.

S. Kidd, O. Harrison (2) and M. Saldana; Miranda Powless, Hayley Fields (4) and Lexi Courtney. W - Fields. L - Kidd.

HITS: BB - King-Phillips 3, Schorzman, Saldana, Lloyd. NIC - Parker, Hayl. Fields 2, Anthony 3, Hayd. Fields 3, Courtney, Powless, Guardado 3. 2B - Hayl. Fields, Parker. HR - Courtney.