The Snow College softball team earned a four-game sweep against North Idaho College over the weekend in Ephraim.  The Badgers have won seven of their last nine games and sit firmly in third place within the Scenic West Athletic Conference standings.
 
Snow College was coming off a four-game series against Utah State University Eastern where it secured two victories. With the victories, the Badgers won the season series against the Eagles and had the opportunity to do the same against the Cardinals in their final home series of the year.
 
Ayden Fitch got the series off to a good start as she hit a two-run homer in the first inning to give the Badgers an early lead. Fitch hit four big flies in the series against the Eagles and leads the team in homers this season.
 
Snow College pushed across two runs in both the third and fourth innings to open up a 6-0 lead. Brooke Fisher finished the scoring for the Badgers with a sacrifice fly in the fifth inning and they went on to win, 7-0.
 
Avery Thorkelson was excellent inside the circle for the Badgers as she pitched a complete-game shutout, the first shutout of the season for the Badgers. She allowed just two hits and struck out five batters en route to her 10^th win of the season.
 
Game two was a much tighter contest. Both teams scored a run in the first inning with the Badgers tally coming on a throwing error. NIC took its first lead of the series with a single run in the third inning.
 
Fisher tied the score in the fifth as she lined a double into the left-centerfield gap to bring home Moki Maughan. The score remained tied entering the bottom of the seventh inning. The Cardinals walked the bases loaded and Brenley Boydston stepped to the plate. Boydston smacked a ball to right field that landed just inside the chalk line, driving home the winning run, and the Badgers claimed the 3-2 walk-off victory.
 
NIC struck first in game three with a single in the third inning to take the lead.  The Badgers wasted no time in leveling the score as they scored as a result of an error in the bottom of the inning. The Cardinals broke the tie with a run in the fifth inning to take a 2-1 lead.
 
Fitch and Kamryn Allen both reached base to lead off the sixth inning. Boydston moved the runners up with a sacrifice bunt before Moki Maughan delivered the game-tying run on a single to center field. Madison Salisbury followed with an RBI on a fielder's choice and the Badgers took the lead, 3-2.
 
The Cardinals threatened in the top of the seventh as the first two batters reached on singles. They would go on to load the bases later in the inning before a pop-out to the catcher and a flyout to left secured the win for the Badgers.
 
The Cardinals held a 1-0 lead before the Badgers pushed across five runs in the bottom of the second inning in game four. RBIs from O'Neal, Gracie Brooks, and Hailey Mangum preceded an error from the NIC center fielder allowing two more runs to score, and the Badgers led 5-1.
 
Snow College added a run in the third inning as Salisbury scored from second on a flyout to right field. The Badgers had runners and 2^nd and 3^rd in the fourth inning after both Fisher and Allen singled and stole bases. Once again it was Maughan who plated the runners on a ringing double to left center.
 
The Badgers ended the game via run rule in the fifth inning. After Brooks and Mangum singled and moved to second and third on a flyout, Fitch hit a grounder to third base with two outs. The throw to first was not hauled in, allowing a run to score, and the Badgers won, 9-1.
 
Maughan led the way offensively as she went 6-10 (.600/.692/.700) from the plate with three RBIs and three walks.  Fitch reached base nine times after going 4-10 (.400/.600/.700) and drawing five walks throughout the series.
 
The Badgers' pitching was sensational over the weekend. Between Thorkelson and Taimani Laolagi-Aloy, they allowed just five earned runs and struck out 11 batters over 26 innings pitched.
 
Snow College will now play its final two series of the season on the road beginning with the College of Southern Idaho Friday at 1:00 p.m. in Twin Falls, Idaho. Saturday's doubleheader is scheduled to start at 12:00 p.m. For video streaming and live stat information, visit snowbadgers.com.