NIC SOFTBALL: Cards top Chukars

ONTARIO, Ore. — Nikki Miller and Jamie Yurick each homered and drove in three runs in the opening game as the North Idaho Cardinals swept the Treasure Valley Chukars 11-6 and 6-5 in a Northwest Athetic Conference doubleheader on Saturday.

“It was a good weekend for us,” NIC coach Don Don Williams said. “It is not easy to be on the road and sweep. I am proud of the team and how they performed.”

Katie Barron struck out eight and hit a solo homer in the opener for NIC, which rallied from a 5-1 deficit to score 10 unswered runs to take an 11-5 lead.

In the second game, former Coeur d’Alene High standout Abby Howard hit a solo home run to tie the game at 4 in the sixth inning and Yurick came around to score the go-ahead run in the seventh on a wild pitch.

NIC (10-2, 4-0 NWAC) opens its home schedule on Friday, hosting Columbia Basin in a doubleheader starting at 2 p.m. at Memorial Field.

Treasure Valley is 5-11, 2-2.

FIRST GAME

North Idaho 100 540 1 — 11 12 3

Treasure Valley 050 000 1 — 6 4 3

Katie Barron and Abby Howard; Bailee Mills, Francesca Rodriquez and Matti Chavez. W — Barron (6-1). L — Mills (3-5).

HITS: NIC — McIntosh, Barron 3, Miller 2, Yurick, Gay, Haake, Raynor 2. TVCC — Shenk, Chavez, Barrera, Henze. 2B — McIntosh, Barron, Miller, Raynor. HR — Barron (4), Miller (4), Yurick (2), Haake (3).

SECOND GAME

North Idaho 002 101 1 — 5 7 1

Treasure Valley 301 000 0 — 4 5 2

Amber Hawkes, Katie Barron and Nikki Miller; Francesca Rodriguez, Bailee Mills (4) and S. Wilson. W — Barron (7-1). L — Mills (3-6).

HITS: NIC — Howard 3, Courtney, Yurick 2, Russell. TVCC — Praegitzer 2, Chavez 2, Hansen. 2B — Howard, Courtney, Yurick, Chavez, Hansen. HR — Howard (4), Praegitzer (2), Chavez (4).