NWAC SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: Cardinals bounce back from rare setback, advance to title round

PORTLAND — After watching its 35-game win streak end in the semifinals, top-seeded North Idaho College found itself in unfamiliar territory midway through a loser-out game in the Northwest Athletic Conference Championships.

Trailing.

NIC trailed 9-0 in the fourth inning, but rallied in the bottom of the fourth with nine runs, including a grand slam by freshman Tayler Thomas, scored nine runs in the bottom of the fourth, then a go-ahead run single by Emily Schulhauser in the bottom of the sixth inning to rally past four-seeded Lower Columbia 11-9 at Delta Park on Saturday.

NIC (44-3), which had its win streak snapped by second-seeded Mt. Hood in the semifinals, will face the Saints of Gresham, Ore., again today, needed to win twice to win the program’s first NWAC title since 2019.

"We're in a good place where we feel like we can come back and win two games," NIC coach Shay Chapman said. "We were hitting the ball hard, but right at Mt. Hood. Their defense was just shutting our offense down, but we'll make the adjustments. We're still hungry and not deflated."

In the semifinal, NIC sophomore Kani Korok hit a two-run home run to pull the Cardinals within a 4-3 deficit after six innings. Mt. Hood (45-4) scored four more in the seventh, keyed by a three-run home run by Brenna Wilson.

The championship game begins today at 11 a.m., with an if-necessary game at 1:15 p.m.

"Tomorrow's the last day of the season," Chapman said. "We're going to close this chapter no matter what happens. Mt. Hood is a good team, but so are we."

MT. HOOD 8, NORTH IDAHO 3

Mt. Hood    010    300    4    —    8    9    1

North Idaho    000    102    0    —    3    4    0

Bella Carazo, Sara Martin (7) and Izzie Brauckmiller; Kristine Schmidt and Corine Doran.

HITS: MHCC —Carroll 3, Allen, Foreman, Barela 2, Wilson, Burke. NIC — Rockwell, Korok, Doran, Kostoff. 2B — Carroll. 3B — Allen. HR — Carroll, Wilson, Korok.

NORTH IDAHO 11, LOWER COLUMBIA 9

Lower Columbia    016    200    0    —    9    13    1

North Idaho    000    902    x    —    11    11    0

Sadie Knutson, Alli Heater (4) and Sawyer Stenson; Kennedy Hobson, Kristine Schmidt (4) and Corine Doran.

HITS: LCC — Grumbois 2, Stenson, Squibb 3, Aspaas 3, Eder, Loose 2, Baumgart. NIC — Korok 2, Doran 3, Schulhauser 3, Thomas 2, Kostoff.  2B — Grumbois 2, Squibb 2. 3B — Kostoff. HR — Stenson, Aspaas, Eder, Korok, Thomas.

NORTHWEST ATHLETIC CONFERENCE SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS

At Delta Park-Owens Sports Complex, Portland

Thursday’s Games

Mt. Hood 8, Yakima Valley 3

Columbia Basin 8, Treasure Valley 7

Wenatchee Valley 11, Walla Walla 3, 5 innings

Southwestern Oregon 10, Chemeketa 2, 6 innings

Spokane 4, Everett 3

Lower Columbia 13, Douglas 6

Clackamas 9, Edmonds 3

North Idaho 9, Grays Harbor 1, 5 innings

Yakima Valley 9, Treasure Valley 0, 5 innings (loser out)

Walla Walla 9, Chemeketa 1, 6 innings (loser out)

Mt. Hood 4, Columbia Basin 0

Wenatchee Valley 8, Southwestern Oregon 4

Douglas 9, Everett 8 (loser out)

Edmonds 7, Grays Harbor 6 (loser out)

Lower Columbia 5, Spokane 4

North Idaho 12, Clackamas 3, 5 innings

Friday’s Games

Clackamas 10, Yakima Valley 2, 5 innings (loser out)

Walla Walla 11, Spokane 8 (loser out)

Southwestern Oregon 6, Douglas 5, 10 innings (loser out)

Edmonds 5, Columbia Basin 3 (loser out)

Mt. Hood 2, Wenatchee Valley 0

North Idaho 15, Lower Columbia 9

Wenatchee Valley 17, Clackamas 9, 6 innings (loser out)

Lower Columbia 16, Southwestern Oregon 8, 5 innings (loser out)

Saturday’s Games

Mt. Hood 8, North Idaho 3 (semifinal)

Lower Columbia 6, Wenatchee Valley 5 (Wenatchee Valley fourth)

North Idaho 11, Lower Columbia 9 (Lower Columbia third)

Sunday’s Games

Game 30 — No. 2 Mt. Hood (45-4) vs. No. 1 North Idaho (44-3), Field 4, 11 a.m. (championship game)

Game 31 — Loser Game 30 vs. Winner Game 30, Field 4, 1:15 p.m. (if necessary)

    NIC ATHLETICS North Idaho College shortstop Hayden Rockwell fields the ball during the Cardinals semifinal game against Mt. Hood in the Northwest Athletic Conference Championships at Delta Park in Portland.