NIC SOFTBALL: Cardinals bounce back for split with Blue Mountain

PENDLETON, Ore. — Aspen Roberts, a freshman from Riverton, Utah, hit a pair of solo home runs and Charlie Stern, a sophomore from Mead High in Spokane, hit a three-run shot in the fifth inning for North Idaho College in a 6-3 win over Blue Mountain Community College in the second game of a nonconference doubleheader on Thursday afternoon. 

Freshman Maya Parry of Lindon, Utah, hit a solo home run in the second game for NIC (14-29). 

Alli Drake, a sophomore from Payson, Utah, also hit a solo home run in the sixth inning in the first game, a 5-3 loss to the Timberwolves (13-13) of the Northwest Athletic Conference. It was the first time that NIC had lost to Blue Mountain since 2017 when both teams were a part of the NWAC. The Cardinals played in the regionally-based conference from 2015-24 before returning to the NJCAA in 2025.

NIC hosts Utah State-Eastern in Scenic West Athletic Conference doubleheaders next Friday and Saturday at the Marimn Health Coeur Center in Worley.

FIRST GAME 

North Idaho    000    201    0    —    3    4    3 

Blue Mountain    003    200    x    —    5    7    1 

Lilly McNett, Makenna Webber (3), Maelynn Durham (5) and Chloe Hearrell; Raelynn Weaver, Rylee Mangum (6) and Emry Woods. 

HITS: NIC — Parry, Drake, Hatch, Magallon. BMCC — Weaver 2, Watterson, Garcia, Mangum, Woods, Harwood. 2B — Parry, Hatch, Weaver, Woods. HR — Drake. 

SECOND GAME 

North Idaho    011    400    0    —    6    8    3 

Blue Mountain    000    300    0    —    3    4    3 

Elizabeth Hatch, Makenna Webber (4), Lilly McNett (6) and Kate Holland; Rylee Mangum, Raelynn Weaver (4) and Emry Woods. 

HITS: NIC — Parry, Holland, Drake, Roberts 2, Magallon, Stern 2. BMCC — Weaver, Krigbaum, Mangum, Woods. 2B — Holland, Drake, Weaver. HR — Parry, Roberts 2, Stern.