NAMPA, Idaho - Seniors
Ryne Phillips and
Mitch Kochis each produced dramatic game-winning hits on Saturday afternoon as the Northwest Nazarene University baseball team swept the season-ending Great Northwest Athletic Conference doubleheader against Central Washington University, winning the opener 10-8 and taking the nightcap 6-5 at Vail Field in Nampa.
Trailing the Wildcats 8-6 in game one, Phillips launched a two-out grand-slam home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to give NNU the 10-8 victory, only to be joined in heroics by Kochis, who produced a bases-loaded walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh to hand the Crusaders a 6-5 win and take the weekend series 3-1 from the Wildcats.
With the record-breaking season coming to an end, the Crusaders finish the 2008 campaign 32-22 overall and 15-17 in GNAC play. NNU sets a new single-season team win record and posts a winning record for the first time since 1983. The Wildcats complete the year 30-21 overall and 20-12 in GNAC play.
and
Alex VanOeveren also enter the record books after the weekend series, with Aakhus breaking the single-season home run record after hitting his 16th on Saturday and VanOeveren tying the career win mark, earning the win in game one and finishing his career at 15-13 overall. Aakhus also accumulated the single-season records for RBI's (54) and tied the single-season marks in doubles (17) and runs scored (51). He also now sits in second-place in single-season total hits with 75.
VanOeveren (6-3) earned the win in the opener and
Nate Slonaker posted his seventh save of the year, with Slonaker (7-2) also grabbing the win in game two after working two-thirds of an inning in relief of NNU pitchers
Andy Pottenger and
Tyler Liebelt.
CWU's Travis Bertholf (1-2) took the loss in game one and Jordan Moore (6-4) took the loss in game two.
Kochis led the Crusaders at the plate, going six-for-nine with two RBI and two runs scored. Phillips finished the day with three hits, four RBI and two runs scored while Aakhus,
Ryan Bailey and
Cole Smith each had two hits on the day.
Jamie Nilsen led the Wildcats offense, going four-for-seven and scoring five runs. A.J. Gosney, Nate Rylaarsdam and Kevin Walkenhauer each had three hits, with Walkenhauer leading the way with five RBI's.
Aakhus, Kochis, Smith and
Severo Rodriguez also enter the record book for most single-season games played at 54.
Game One
Northwest Nazarene 10, Central Washington 8 (May 10, 2008 at Nampa,Idaho) (Game 1)
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Central Washington.. 103 400 000 - 8 12 3 (30-20, 20-11)
Northwest Nazarene.. 500 000 50X - 10 9 3 (31-22, 14-17)
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Pitchers: Central Washington - McCanna; Bertholf(5). Northwest Nazarene - VanOeveren;
Slonaker(8).
Win-VanOeveren(6-3) Save-Slonaker(7) Loss-Bertholf(1-2) T-2:41 A-148
HR NNU - Phillips (1); Puckett (4).
Game: NNU53
Game Two
Northwest Nazarene 6, Central Washington 5 (May 10, 2008 at Nampa,Idaho) (Game 2)
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Central Washington.. 102 020 0 - 5 7 1 (30-21, 20-12)
Northwest Nazarene.. 104 000 1 - 6 9 1 (32-22, 15-17)
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Pitchers: Central Washington - Moore. Northwest Nazarene - Pottenger; Liebelt(5); Slonaker(7).
Win-Slonaker(7-2) Loss-Moore(6-4) T-1:56 A-167
HR NNU - Aakhus (16).
Game: NNU54
