EUGENE, Ore. – Sophomore Madi Jones took a no-hitter into the sixth inning and finished off NCU's first shut out of the season, helping the Beacons avoid a three-game sweep at the hands of The University of Great Falls. The Argos took the first two games, 11-0 and 7-2 before the Beacons came up with a 4-0 win in the night cap.
 
GAME ONE
 
The Argos collecting 14 hits and needed just five innings to finish off the 11-0 run-rule win in the opener. The team posted five runs in the second inning, one in the fourth and five more in the fifth, capped off by a three-run homer from Kylie Gonzales.
 
Morgan Robinson hit 3-for-4 for UGF, scoring three runs. Gonzales also had multiple hits along with Jackie Thomas, Paige Bodner and Kyra Dorvall. Shelby Abeyta (6-4) went the distance, striking out four batters in the shutout win.
 
NCU collected just three hits in the game including doubles from Madi Novelli and Tra Kucera. Katie Walker took the loss for the Beacons, allowing five runs.
 
GAME TWO
 
The Beacons were first to score in the middle game, as Caitlyn Messman, Jess Garner and Avery Daniels started the game with singles, putting up a pair in the first inning.
 
UGF rallied with five in third and tacked on single scored in the next two innings. The Argos collected 12 hits, highlighted by Hali Gruntowicz who went 3-for-4 with four RBI, hitting two home runs. Her second blast clanged off the foul pole in left field.
 
The Beacons mustered seven hits including three from Paige Griffith and two from Messman.
 
Mikalya Deigan threw the final five innings for Great Falls, allowing three hits. Walker (3-15) went the distance for the Beacons, striking out five batters.
 
GAME THREE
 
In just her fourth start of the year, Jones (1-4) was dominant from the first pitch. She retired 11 of the first 12 batters she faced and didn't allow a hit until there were two outs in the sixth when a Gonzales ground ball went deep into the hole at shortstop and the batter beat out the throw. Jones struck out three batters and added a pair of sacrifice bunts, batting 1-for-1.
 
The Beacons had just six hits of their own but were able to get the job done with a four-run fifth inning on an RBI double by Garner, a fielder's choice by Griffith that scored Garner and a two-run single by Kucera.
 
Deigan (3-7) went the distance for Great Falls, with all four runs being unearned.
 
The Beacons will be back in action next weekend, hitting the road for Caldwell, Idaho to take on the C of I Yotes in a four-game series.