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.

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