HELENA, Mont. – After getting swept in Friday's double-header, sophomore Emma Jegtvig threw one of the best games of her career in Saturday's series finale, striking out 12 batters to help lift NCU to victory as they avoided the conference sweep to Carroll College.
 
Jegtvig struck out the first five batters she faced on Saturday and had seven K's through three innings, finishing with a career-high and the most strikeouts by an NCU pitcher since Brooke Davis in 2009. It was the most ever for a Beacon in a Cascade Collegiate Conference game and the second highest total in the conference this season.
 
NCU won the game, 4-3 as Jegtvig allowed just one earned run. She had allowed just two earned runs and struck out six batters in six innings of work in a 4-1 loss on Friday.
 
The Beacons were two-hit in that opener by Carroll starter Allison Williams who struck out six. The Beacons only run of that game came in the first inning as Jess Garner reached on a walk, stole second and third base, and came home on an error.
 
Garner scored twice more in the second game as NCU dropped the contest 5-2. NCU doubled their hitting output in the game to four, getting two from Alexis Westbrooks.
 
Saturday proved to be a pitcher's duel for the first four innings as the game remained scoreless until Carroll opened the bottom of the fourth with back-to-back doubles and their one earned run of the game.
 
NCU responded with a four-run fifth inning that proved to put the game away. Avery Daniels led off the frame with a double and later scored on a sacrifice bunt by Garner. Jordan Kuykendall added a two-run single and she later scored on an error, putting the Beacons ahead 4-1.
 
Carroll made things interesting with two unearned runs in the bottom of the sixth, but NCU was able to hang on for the win.
 
Jegtvig (6-11) moves to six wins and becomes the first NCU pitcher to do so in five years. She also went 2-for-3 at the plate as she hit singles in the fifth and sixth innings.
 
The Beacons will return to action later this week against Corban University. The games, originally scheduled for Friday and Saturday in Salem, have been moved up to Thursday and Friday and will now be played on the all-weather turf at Hillsboro Stadium due to poor field conditions at Corban.