NAMPA - The Northwest Nazarene University baseball team opened a four-game GNAC series against Central Washington this afternoon with a 6-4 victory in game one, but fell 7-5 in the nightcap on the final weekend of the season at Vail Field.

Game one boxscore
Game two boxscore

Jon Keller (6-5) earned the win on the mound in the opener, going 8 and 2/3 innings, and went two for three at the plate to help his own cause.  Kalen Hruza came in to pick up the save, facing the tying run in the bottom of the ninth.

The Crusaders (14-29, 7-21 GNAC) scored two in the first and three in the third to open up a quick 5-0 lead on the Wildcats.  Keller singled home Ty Windall in the first and would later score unearned as a result of a CWU error. 

Ryan VanBeek singled to lead off the second and would score on the next play as Jimmy VanBeek doubled home his younger brother to plate his 19th RBI of the season.  A CWU error added a baserunner on a ground ball by Ty Nicholson and Sean McDonald followed with a single to score the senior VanBeek.  Keller capped off the rally with his second RBI single of the game in as many innings.

Connor Rankin added insurance in the seventh with a home run to left field, his third of the season.

CWU (16-28, 10-16 GNAC) would rally in the final innings, scoring one in the eighth and made the game interesting in the ninth as Frank Donangelo smacked a solo home run and Andrew Snowdon and Michael Johnson hit back-to-back singles to put the Wildcats in business.  Jordan Slesk answered the call with a two-run double, setting the stage for Hruza to face the tying run. 

Hruza was able to get Anthony Sanelli to ground out to third to end the game, picking up his second save of the season.

Slesk finished three for four with two RBI for CWU and Donangelo was two for three.  Derek Shoemaker (5-6) took the complete-game loss.

Keller, McDonald, Windall and both VanBeek's finished with two hits each to power the NNU offensive effort.

The Crusaders jumped out to a 5-1 lead after five innings in game two, but couldn't hold on as the Wildcats scored six in the sixth to capture a 7-5 win in the nightcap.

A.J. Gosney and Slesk had two hits each and Nate Wallen did some damage in the sixth with a pinch-hit three-run home run to give CWU the lead.

Michael McCanna (4-3) earned the win and Matt Crowe grabbed his first save of the year, pitching a scoreless sixth and seventh.

Kalen Hruza (0-2) took the loss, entering in relief of starter Charles Pollock.

Connor Rankin led the Crusader bats in game two, going three for four with an RBI, and Ryan VanBeek capped off a four for six day by going two for two with a two-run home run in the second.

The Crusaders and Wildcats will play their final games of the season tomorrow with the GNAC twinbill scheduled to begin at Noon.