Area roundup: Top-seeded North Idaho softball wins twice at Northwest Athletic Conference Championships

Kalyna Korok and Ashlyn Winn carried the hot bats and Madi Mott dominated on the mound Saturday as the top-seeded North Idaho softball team won twice during the Northwest Athletic Conference Championships at Merkel Sports Complex.

NIC opened with a five-inning, 10-0 win over Columbia Basin (15-30). Winn homered twice and finished 3 for 3 with six runs batted in and three runs. Mott struck out six and allowed two hits in four innings.

The Cardinals followed with a six-inning, 12-1 win over Mt. Hood (27-15). Korok homered twice and had six RBIs. Mott, who also homered, allowed three hits and struck out six in five innings.

Megan Carver homered in both games for the Cardinals.

NIC will meet East Region rival Walla Walla (39-11) at noon Sunday in the semifinals. NIC has won 20 consecutive games since an April 14 loss to Walla Walla in the second game of a doubleheader.

Washington 2, Texas 1: Kirstyn Thomas’ RBI double in the seventh inning gave the Huskies (46-8) a win over the Longhorns (33-25) during an NCAA regional in Seattle.

The victory moved the Huskies one win away from advancing to next weekend’s Super Regionals, also scheduled for Seattle.

UW will meet either Minnesota or Texas at 4 p.m. Sunday. If the Huskies win, they clinch a berth to Super Regionals. If they lose, the teams will meet again at 6:30 for the berth.

Thomas snapped a 1-all tie with a one-out double down the left-field line to score Sis Bates, who doubled to open the inning.

UW’s Gabbie Plain (18-4) worked a 1-2-3 seventh. Plain pitched a complete game, allowing two hits and one earned run, striking out six and walking one.

The Huskies, trailing 1-0, tied the score in the fifth on Julia DePonte’s RBI double.