NIC SOFTBALL: Cardinals finish off one win, then sweep Utah State-Eastern

LEWISTON — Freshman Emma Wirt singled to score Katelyn Larney with the winning run with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning to lift North Idaho College over the Utah State-Eastern Eagles 8-7 in the first game of a Scenic West Athletic Conference doubleheader at Airport Park on Saturday. 

Sophomore Corine Doran singled to score freshman Emily Hanchey with the tying run in the sixth inning for NIC, which trailed 7-0 in the fourth inning before rallying. 

Earlier on Saturday, NIC rallied to beat Utah State-Eastern 13-12 in the completion of a suspended game from Friday. 

In the nightcap, Ryder Grooters, Wirt and Corine Doran homered in the second inning for NIC to close out the four-game sweep. 

NIC (14-12, 6-6 SWAC) travels to Salt Lake next Friday and Saturday.

Utah State-Eastern is 6-15, 2-10. 

FIRST GAME 

Utah State-Eastern    203    200    0    —    7    12    4 

North Idaho        000    223    1    —    8    8    1 

Emma Walker, Allie Fowler (7) and Ellie Nielsen; Maelynn Durham, Kristine Schmidt (4) and Megan Nelson.  

HITS: USUE — Hall 2, Spight, Zajac 3, Nielsen 2, Quinn, Sandavol, Jennings 2. NIC — Hanchey, Nelson, Doran, Larney 2, Wirt, Parks, Ramirez. 2B — Hall, Jennings, Hanchey, Nelson, Larney, Parks. 3B — Spight. HR — Zajac, Nielsen, Larney. 

SECOND GAME 

Utah State-Eastern    100    021    0    —    4    5    5 

North Idaho    240    000    x    —    6    6    1 

Sydney Morris, Allie Fowler (2) and Brooklyn Zajac; Maliyah Mann and Corine Doran. 

HITS: USUE — Hall, Spight 2, Jennings, Sandavol. NIC — Hanchey, Nelson, Doran, Nichols, Grooters, Wirt. 2B — Jennings, Nichols. HR — Spight, Doran, Grooters, Wirt.