Powless, Anthony power NIC past CSI in first game

Miranda Powless hit a three-run home run and Madison Anthony hit a two-run shot to lift the North Idaho College softball team to an 8-7 win over the fourth-ranked College of Southern Idaho Golden Eagles in the first game of a Scenic West Athletic Conference doubleheader Friday at Memorial Field in Coeur d’Alene. NIC lost the second game 7-2.

The two home runs put the Cardinals up 5-0 before CSI mounted a comeback.

CSI’s Sierra Whitmer answered with a three-run home run in the top of the fourth inning to cut NIC’s lead to 5-3.

NIC scored three runs in the fourth, including a two-run double by Kylene Hatton, to extend the lead to 8-3.

CSI responded again with four runs in the sixth, but the Cardinals never relinquished the lead.

Hunter Allen, Powless and Brittany Hecker pitched for NIC. Allen pitched the first three innings and gave up the three-run home run to Whitmer, Powless gave up four runs in two innings and Hecker shut out the Golden Eagles in the final two innings of play.

NIC (31-20, 26-16) heads into its final weekend of regular season play sitting in third place in the SWAC. The Cardinals will play Colorado Northwestern Community College (8-41, 7-37) in doubleheaders Friday and Saturday at Memorial Field. Friday’s doubleheader starts at 2 and Saturday’s games start at noon.