Ferres hurls shutout as Cardinals sweep Yaks

POST FALLS — It was almost a perfect end to the home softball schedule for North Idaho College.

Those pesky leadoff walks.

Grace Ferres struck out seven in five innings, allowing only a leadoff walk in the Cardinals’ 16-0 win over the Yakima Valley Yaks in the second game of a Northwest Athletic Conference doubleheader at Post Falls High on Tuesday.

Ashlyn Winn hit a solo home run in the first inning, hit a two-run double in the fourth inning and then capped the scoring with a grand slam in the second game.

Earlier, Winn, Bailey Cavanagh and Brianna Hecker had two RBIs each as NIC beat Yakima Valley 9-0 in the opener.

NIC (31-9-1, 25-5 NWAC), which leads Big Bend by one game for the East Region lead, concludes the regular season at Yakima Valley (2-29, 0-26) in a doubleheader on Friday.

FIRST GAME

Yakima Valley 000 00 — 0 1 1

North Idaho 450 0x — 9 7 0

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

Shelby Jones, Layla Worthington (2) and Alayna Carpenter; Madi Mott, Andrea Hoey (4) and Taylor Anderson. W — Mott. L — Jones.

HITS: YVCC — West. NIC — Winn, Kerr, Mott, Cavanagh, Hecker 2, Anderson. 2B — Cavanagh. HR — Winn, Mott, Hecker.

SECOND GAME

Yakima Valley 000 00 — 0 0 1

North Idaho 101 (14)x — 16 14 0

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

Layla Worthington, Shelby Jones (4) and Matison Sparks; Grace Ferres and Taylor Anderson. W — Ferres. L — Worthington.

HITS: YVCC — none. NIC — Winn 3, Mott 2, Amesquita, Cavanagh 2, Hecker 2, Williams, Profili, Hammond, Anderson. 2B — Winn, Profili. HR — Winn 2, Mott, Amesquita, Hecker, Williams.