EUGENE, Ore. – The Beacons closed out the first half of the Cascade Collegiate Conference season on Saturday with a double-header sweep at the hands of No. 17 Concordia, 8-0 and 6-4, but NCU moves into the home stretch with their eye on a possible postseason berth as they sit in fourth place in the CCC.
 
One day after Jill Suratt threw an unofficial no-hitter against Northwest, the senior was on the receiving end of one on Saturday, dropping the opener to the Cavaliers, 8-0 in a six-inning mercy rule loss. CU senior hurler Lucy Baldovino struck out nine batters in route to the no-hitter. She faced the minimum number of batters, and the only Beacon runner to reach base on an error was tagged out in a double play moments later.
 
Concordia scored four runs in the bottom of the second inning and added three in the fourth to go up 7-0. They closed out the run-rule victory in the sixth as they scored on a game-ending wild pitch.
 
Katie Walker went to the hill for NCU in the second game and was able to slow down the Cavalier offense for a while as the teams took a scoreless tie into the bottom of the fifth inning. Jamie Martin led off the inning with a double and Concordia kept grinding as they scored four runs on six hits in the inning.
 
NCU, however, had the answer in the top of the sixth. Back-to-back bunt singles by Suratt and Addy Hoskins caught the Cavaliers off guard and a follow-up single to center field by Ashlee Cole loaded the bases. Then, with one out, Parker Bonife (pictured) crushed a ball to deep left field, tying the game on one swing with her first career Grand Slam. It was the 20th career home run for the junior.
 
The teams took the 4-4 tie into the bottom of the seventh inning, but junior third baseman Taylor Copher ended up providing the home team heroics with a two-out two-run walk off home run.
 
The Beacons finished the game with eight hits, including two apiece for Suratt and Hoskins.
 
NCU (9-23, 6-8 CCC) currently sits in fourth place in the conference standings. At the end of the season the top-four teams will advance to the CCC postseason. Oregon Tech, who the Beacons split with last weekend, currently sits in first place with an 11-2 record. Concordia is second (9-3) followed by Corban (9-4). Southern Oregon sits one win behind the Beacons followed by The College of Idaho in sixth.
 
Northwest Christian will resume play on Friday when they host The College of Idaho at 2 p.m.