COEUR d'ALENE - After clearing the remnants of the winter months on Thursday to make sure this weekend's Scenic West Athletic Conference four-game softball series got played at Memorial Field, the host North Idaho Cardinals ran into Snow, which took the first game 5-1 before the Cardinals battled back to win 7-2 in the nightcap on Friday.

Third baseman Alle Carter had an RBI double and two-run home run in the third inning to finish with three RBIs in the first game for Snow.

"We struggled early on in the season," Snow coach Chad Larson said. "We've finally started to put our hitting together. We're pretty evenly matched with NIC with both of us having a lot of young kids."

"I'm proud of what we've accomplished this weekend," Larson said. "We're looking forward to two close games tomorrow. It's tough to travel a long way and focus right away. It's anyone's game right now and I'm really pleased with how we're pulling together."

Blake Meredith had an RBI single in the third for North Idaho (24-20, 17-16 SWAC), which left nine runners on base in the first game.

"We had too many LOBs in that game," NIC coach Don Don Williams said. "Anytime you leave that many runners in scoring position, it's going to get you if you don't score runs."

In the second game, NIC jumped out to an early lead as Kristina DeAnda drew a leadoff walk and came around to score on an RBI single by Blake Meredith. Snow tied the game on an RBI single by Kimmie Brambell in the second inning.

Alyssa Erickson drove a sacrifice fly into center to score Kelsey LaVaute in the bottom of the inning to give NIC a 2-1 lead after the second.

Following a one-out walk to Meredith and single by Shelby Gonzales, NIC third baseman Desirae Tinoco sent a two-strike pitch over the left field fence for a three-run homer to give the Cardinals a 5-1 lead after the third inning.

“I just tried to go up and hit the ball,” Tinoco said. “I kind of struggled down in Vegas last weekend, so I felt I needed to go up and redeem myself.”

Snow (13-15, 13-15) battled back in the fifth inning as Abbi Lewis came around to score on an error with two outs to pull the Badgers within 5-2.

Meredith put the game away in the sixth inning with a two-run single.

“When we’re able to hit, that’s when we play good,” Tinoco said. “It all really depends on the hitting. That’s when we’re having fun is when we’re able to hit.”

The teams conclude their weekend series today with a noon doubleheader at Memorial Field.

FIRST GAME

Snow 000 301 1 — 5 6 0

North Idaho 001 000 0 — 1 7 2

McKenzie Hatch and Kimberly Knudsen; Jenifer Rosie, Alyssa Erickson (5), Jocelynn Probert and Shelby Gonzales. W — Hatch. L — Rosie (5-8).

HITS: Snow — Carter 3, Lewis 2, Hunsaker. NIC — DeAnda, Meredith 2, Gonzales, Tinoco, Moon, Erickson. 2B — Carter, DeAnda, Erickson. HR — Carter.

SECOND GAME

Snow 010 010 0 — 2 11 0

North Idaho 113 002 x — 7 8 2

Shelby Earl, Nichole Johnson (3) and Jessyca Fulmer; Blake Meredith, Jocelynn Probert (4) and Shelby Gonzales. W — Meredith (7-8). L — Earl.

HITS: Snow — Craner, Hyland, Knudsen, Lewis 3, Brambell 3, Fulmer 2. NIC — DeAnda, Meredith 2, Gonzales 3, Tinoco, Bishop. 2B — Knudsen, Brambell, DeAnda, Meredith, Bishop. HR — Tinoco (5).