Game 1 Boxscore
Game 2 Boxscore

NAMPA, Idaho - The Northwest Nazarene University baseball team fell 11-4 and 4-2 to Montana State Billings on Friday evening in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference doubleheader at Vail Field in Nampa.

 

The Crusaders (6-7, 0-2 GNAC) opened conference play by scoring single runs in the first and second innings of the opener, but would see the offense stall until the ninth, when Jimmy VanBeek hit his second home run of the season.

 

MSUB (8-10, 2-0 GNAC) answered the Crusaders two runs with five in the fourth, taking advantage of a Stefan Malkuch RBI single, a Chris Round two-run double down the left field line, and a Brian Dukart run-scoring single.

 

Brian Howe (2-1) earned the win for the 'Jackets, with Jon Keller (2-1) taking the loss for the Crusaders.

 

The Yellowjackets plated three runs in the third inning of game two to jump on top, highlighted by designated hitter Joe Via's two-run double to the gap in left center.

 

NNU would rally in the sixth with a Joe Oliver pinch-hit RBI double and Connor Rankin moving the baserunners with a ground ball to the right side to add the second tally. 

 

MSUB added an insurance run in the seventh, taking advantage of a Crusader throwing error to score an unearned run off the bat of Malkuch and lead 4-2.

 

The Crusaders put the tying run on base in the bottom of the seventh when Ty Windall reached on a fielding error and Jon Keller was hit by reliever Cody Clark, but Clark was able to work out of the jam, getting NNU pinch-hitter Colton Douglass to pop up to end the game.

 

The teams return tomorrow for a GNAC twinbill that begins at Noon.