NIC SOFTBALL: Gay, Courtney power Cardinals

COEUR d’ALENE — Former Lake City High standout Brittany Gay hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the second inning as the North Idaho Cardinals beat the Blue Mountain Timberwolves of Pendleton, Ore., 12-4 in the first game of a Northwest Athletic Conference doubleheader on Saturday at Lake City High.

Katie Barron and Lexi Courtney had two RBIs each for NIC in the first game.

In the nightcap, Emily Aspden went 4 for 4 with two RBIs and two runs scored as the Cardinals pulled away with a five-run bottom of the sixth inning to beat the Timberwolves 8-3.

Courtney hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the third inning to give the Cardinals a 3-2 lead. Chloe McIntosh had a go-ahead single in the bottom of the sixth, sparking a five run inning to put the game away.

NIC (23-9, 16-4 East Region) returns to action Saturday vs. Big Bend in Moses Lake.

Blue Mountain is 5-33, 2-20.

FIRST GAME

Blue Mountain 040 00 — 4 3 5

North Idaho 340 14 — 12 15 2

Lauren Cagle and Aunika Turner; Katie Barron and Nicole Miller. W — Barron. L — Cagle.

HITS: BMCC — Bonner, Turner, Wedgworth, Chaulsett-Utley. NIC — McIntosh 2, Aspden 3, Barron 3, Miller, Gay 2, Courtney 2, Haake 2. 2B — Barron. HR — Gay (9).

SECOND GAME

Blue Mountain 200 100 0 — 3 7 1

North Idaho 102 005 x — 8 14 0

Carlie Chaulsett-Utley, Tiffany Snyder (6) and Aunika Turner; Amber Hawkes and Abby Howard. W — Hawkes. L — Chaulsett-Utley.

HITS: BMCC — Bonner, Saxton-Siaki, Ulrey, Turner, Chaulsett-Utley 2, Daubert. NIC — McIntosh, Aspden 4, Barron 2, Miller, Yurick, Courtney 2, Hawkes, Gay, Howard. 2B — Ulrey, Turner, Hawkes. 3B — Saxton-Siaki. HR — Courtney (4).