NIC SOFTBALL: Cardinals rally twice to sweep Yakima Valley
<p>LOREN BENOIT/Press North Idaho College baserunner Emily Aspen is ruled safe at third base on Friday against Yakima Valley Community College.</p>
<p>LOREN BENOIT/Press Emily Aspden (12) receives a high five from teammate Lexi Courtney (6) as she heads back to the dugout after scoring against Yakima Valley Community College on Friday.</p>
COEUR d’ALENE — Nikki Miller hit a two-run walkoff home run in the eighth inning of the first game, and North Idaho College went on to sweep Yakima Valley 9-7 and 15-10 in Northwest Athletic Conference softball Friday at Lake City High.
Miller finished the first game 3 for 5 and also scored a pair of runs for NIC (29-9, 22-4 NWAC), which trailed 5-0 and 7-2 before rallying. Abby Howard hit a two-run double in the second inning for the Cardinals. Brittany Gay homered in the fifth inning, and singled in Miller in the sixth to tie the game at 7.
In the second game, NIC trailed 10-4 before piling up 11 runs in the bottom of the sixth. Howard hit two home runs in the nightcap, and finished 2 for 4 with five RBIs. Barron homered and drove in three runs, and Miller homered and finished 2 for 4 with five RBIs. Analisa Raynor went 3 for 4 for NIC.
Kassi Lucas went 3 for 4 with a homer and five RBIs for Yakima Valley (5-33, 3-23), and Taylor Rath was 3 for 4 with three runs, a homer and four RBIs.
NIC, which has won 11 straight and leads the East Region of the NWAC, wraps up its home schedule today, playing host to Wenatchee Valley in a noon doubleheader at Lake City High.
FIRST GAME
Yakima 320 200 00 — 7 9 3
North Idaho 020 122 02 — 9 17 2
0 out when winning run scored.
Beth Anderson and Darian Atkinson; Amber Hawkes, Brittany Gay (5), Katie Barron (6) and Nikki Miller. W — Barron. L — Anderson.
HITS: YVCC — Rodriguez, Fisher 3, Rath, Anderson 3, Carlisle. NIC — McIntosh 2, Aspden, Barron, Miller 3, Courtney 3, Haake, Yurick, Gay 2, Raynor, Howard 2. 2B — Rath, Anderson, Carlisle, Howard. HR — Miller (10), Gay (10).
SECOND GAME
Yakima 203 320 0 — 10 11 1
North Idaho 102 01(11) x — 15 19 3
Beth Anderson, Shelby Wilkey (6) and Kassi Lucas; Amber Hawkes, Brittany Gay (4), Katie Barron (5) and Abby Howard. W — Barron. L — Anderson.
HITS: YVCC — Fisher 2, Rath 3, Lucas 3, Wilkey, Carlisle, Cleaver. NIC — McIntosh 2, Aspden, Gay 2, Barron 2, Miller 2, Yurick 2, Courtney, Haake, Raynor 3, Howard 2. 2B — Fisher, Rath, McIntosh, Yurkck, Haake. HR — Rath (5), Lucas 2 (2), Barron (11), Miller 11, Howard 2 (15).