ALLEN, Texas – Northwest claimed a pair of nail-biters, including a victory over No. 16 Columbia College, to improve to 4-1 for the first time in program history.
 
NU defeated Columbia 10-9 and Oklahoma Panhandle State, picked third in the Sooner Athletic Conference, 7-6 in eight innings.
 
"I'm just so proud of our girls," said NU Head Coach Pam Fink. "They went out and beat a very good Columbia team. After that, we had some low energy to start the OPSU game, but we fought through that and got another big win. Just feeling very blessed right now."
 
Columbia jumped ahead 2-0 in the top of the first inning, but NU tied it in the third. Abby Blahut doubled and scored on a double by Maddie Leffle and Leffle scored on a single by Kayla Stanley.
 
The Cougars took a 6-2 lead in the fourth, but NU got one back when Paige Creasey singled, moved to third on a double by Jamelah Lewis and stole home.
 
NU got to within 6-4 in the fifth as Leffle singled, stole second and scored on a single by Sydney Maurer.
 
Columbia added three runs in the top of the sixth to take a 9-4 lead, but NU had the answer in the bottom of the sixth.
 
Lewis led off with a double and Olivia Brown added a single ahead of a three-run home run by Bella King. Leffle reached on an error, stole second and scored on a single by Stanley to make it 9-8. Maurer tied the game with a sacrifice fly. Emily Barry walked and scored on a double by Creasey for the 10-9 lead.
 
Natalie Dimitrov worked out of a first-and-third jam in the top of the seventh to get the save.
 
Lewis had three hits in the game for Northwest and Leffle, Stanley and Creasey added two each.
 
King got the pitching win.
 
Panhandle State got out to a 5-0 lead heading into the bottom of the fifth before the Eagles found their offense again.
 
Maurer had a two-run double to make it 5-2 in the fifth. Creasey doubled and scored on a ground out by Brown and Chloe Van Boekhout singled and scored on a base hit by Leffle.
 
The Eagles tied in the bottom of the seventh when Barry doubled and scored on a base hit by Creasey.
 
NU relinquished a run in the tiebreaker top of the eighth but got it back on an RBI single by Leffle, who stole second and scored on a base hit by Maurer.
 
Leffle, Maurer, Creasey and Van Boekhout had three hits each in the game.
 
Bella King picked up the pitching win.
 
The Eagles go to California next weekend for games against William Jessup and Hope International.