NIC SOFTBALL: Cardinals split on Day 2, reach final four of conference tourney
Photo courtesy of NORTH IDAHO ATHLETICS North Idaho College sophomore pitcher Abbey Brooks throws a pitch during a winner's bracket game against Southwestern Oregon in the Northwest Athletic Conference Championships on Friday at Delta Park in Portland.
PORTLAND — Freshman Madelynne Hommel doubled twice and drove in three runs for third-seeded North Idaho College, which bounced back from a setback earlier on Friday to beat the 10th-seeded Everett Trojans 18-2 in a loser-out game at the Northwest Athletic Conference Championships at Delta Park on Friday.
Earlier, NIC was limited to three hits in a 4-0 loss to second-seeded Southwestern Oregon of Coos Bay.
Freshman Kennedy Hobson had five RBIs for NIC against Everett, and fellow freshman Summer Makinster drove in four.
“Everett was the team that knocked us out last year,” NIC coach Shay Fuson said. “We went into today with the mindset that today was not going to be our last day together. We have built a family and we just don’t want it to end yet.”
NIC (39-10) advances to face top-seeded Bellevue in a loser-out game today at 10 a.m. That winner will advance to another loser-out game at 12:30 p.m. with a bid to Sunday's championship game to the winner.
NIC sophomore Abbey Brooks had 10 strikeouts in relief against Southwestern Oregon.
NORTH IDAHO 18, EVERETT 2, 5 INN.
Everett 110 00 — 2 5 4
North Idaho 392 4x — 18 10 2
Morgan Epperson, Ivane Aholelei (4) and Madison German; Kennedy Hobson, Hattie Imbler-Bremner (5) and Summer Makinster.
HITS: Ev — Lono 2, Hansen, Aholelei, German. NIC — Rockwell 2, Hommel 2, Makinster, Hobson, Pfeifer 2, Kostoff 2. 2B — Lono, Rockwell, Hommel 2. HR — Hobson.
SOUTHWESTERN OREGON 4, NORTH IDAHO 0
SW Oregon 120 000 1 — 4 8 2
North Idaho 000 000 0 — 0 3 1
Deztiny Vaughn and Ryliegh Blaire; Kennedy Hobson, Abbey Brooks (2) and Summer Makinster.
HITS: SWOCC — Andrews 2, Matautia, Mansfield, Blaire, Saint-Hilaire, Fournier, Brewer. NIC — Dobrev, Hobson, Hommel. 2B — Matautia, Hobson.
NORTHWEST ATHLETIC CONFERENCE SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
At Delta Park, Portland
Thursday’s Games
Southwestern Oregon 8, Centralia 0, 5 innings
Columbia Basin 8, Everett 0, 5 innings
Walla Walla 11, Edmonds 6
North Idaho 9, Wenatchee Valley 0, 5 innings
Clackamas 9, Spokane 5
Lower Columbia 7, Mt. Hood 3,
Treasure Valley 6, Douglas 4
Bellevue 10, Chemeketa 0, 5 innings
Everett 8, Centralia 0 (loser out)
Wenatchee Valley 19, Edmonds 16 (loser out)
Southwestern Oregon 4, Columbia Basin 0
North Idaho 6, Walla Walla 4
Clackamas 11, Lower Columbia 4
Bellevue 12, Treasure Valley 0, 5 innings
Friday’s Games
Everett 13, Treasure Valley 2, 5 innings (loser out)
Wenatchee Valley 16, Lower Columbia 3, 5 innings (loser out)
Mt. Hood 12, Walla Walla 2, 5 innings (loser out)
Columbia Basin 11, Douglas 3, 5 innings (loser out)
Southwestern Oregon 4, North Idaho 0
Clackamas 4, Bellevue 3
Everett 13, Wenatchee Valley 2, 5 innings (loser out)
Mt. Hood 8, Columbia Basin 3 (loser out)
North Idaho 18, Everett 2, 5 innings (loser out)
Bellevue 14, Mt. Hood 4, 5 innings (loser out)
Saturday’s Games
Game 27 — No. 2 Southwestern Oregon (46-3) vs. No. 4 Clackamas (34-11), 10 a.m. (semifinal)
Game 28 — No. 3 North Idaho (39-10) vs. No. 1 Bellevue (40-3), 10 a.m.
Game 29 — Loser Game 27 vs. Winner Game 28, 12:30 p.m.
Sunday’s Games
Game 30 — Winner Game 27 vs. Winner Game 29, 11 a.m. (championship game)
Game 31 — Loser Game 30 vs. Winner Game 30, 1:15 p.m. (if-necessary game)