NIC SOFTBALL: Cardinals split to open NWAC tourney

PORTLAND — Katie Barron hit a two-run double in the bottom of the fourth inning to break the game open for the North Idaho College softball team in an 8-0 win over Shoreline in the opening round of the Northwest Athletic Conference tournament at Delta Park on Friday.

Barron, who singled to score Chole McIntosh with the first run of the game in the third inning, also struck out three in four innings in the circle for NIC.

Later, Jamie Yurick hit an RBI single and later scored on an RBI single by Lexi Courtney in the seventh, but the Cardinals fell to Centralia 3-2.

NIC (34-12) — winners of the East Region title — will face Olympic today at 10 a.m. in a loser-out game.

NIC joined the NWAC last year, but this is the first season the Cardinals were eligible for the conference tournament, after making the transition from the NJCAA.

NORTH IDAHO 8, SHORELINE 0, 5 inn.

Shoreline 000 00 — 0 1 2

North Idaho 001 7x — 8 10 0

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

K. Goff, D. Green (4) and Camacho; Katie Barron, Amber Hawkes (5) and Nicole Miller. W — Barron. L — Goff.

HITS: Shore — Pasoquen. NIC — McIntosh 2, Aspden, Barron 2, Miller, Haake 2, Lallas, Raynor. 2B — McIntosh, Aspden, Barron, Haake.

CENTRALIA 3, NORTH IDAHO 2

North Idaho 000 000 2 — 2 5 0

Centralia 120 000 x — 3 8 0

Katie Barron and Nicole Miller; Smith and Seymour. W — Smith. L — Barron.

HITS: NIC — Gay 2, Yurick, Courtney, Howard. Cent — Muegge 2, Waason 2, Smith, Cole-Vogler, Schaff 2. 2B — Yurick.