Game One
Game Two

NAMPA, Idaho - The Northwest Nazarene baseball team split a Great Northwest Athletic Conference doubleheader with Montana State University Billings on Friday afternoon at Vail Field, winning the opener 7-3, but falling 6-5 in the nightcap.

 

J.T. Brodrick (4-1) earned the win in game one and Jacob Hiler closed the final three innings to record his first save of the season.

 

The Crusaders, ranked 6th in this week's NCBWA West Region poll, move to 16-6 overall and 5-5 in GNAC play with the split, while the Yellowjackets are now 7-11 overall and 1-5 in league games.

 

Led by Logan Parker (3 for 5), Ryan VanBeek (2 for 4, 1 RBI) and Ryan Udy (2 for 4, 1 RBI), the Crusaders scored in all but three innings and took advantage of five MSUB errors.

 

Jacob Vulk (0-2) took the loss for MSUB.  The 'Jackets were paced by both Jordan Kessler and Colby Robison who each had three hits.

 

Game two saw the 'Jackets score five of their six runs in the first inning off Crusader starter Charles Pollock (3-2).  Adding a solo home run by Jeff Ridgeway in the third off Patrick Patterson, MSUB was able to hold off an NNU rally to earn the win for Archie Smith (3-1).  Smith came in relief of Kody Kennedy in the third and worked two and 2/3 innings, with Brian Howe closing the seventh for his third save of the year.

 

The Crusaders scored one in the fourth and three in the seventh to pull within two and VanBeek opened the bottom of the seventh with a solo blast to leftfield to close the margin to one at 6-5.

 

However, Howe was up to the task, getting Parker to ground-out to first base, Josh Hatfield lined-out to second base and pinch-hitter Drew Drlik ended the game on a fly ball to rightfield.

 

The teams will return to Vail Field for a GNAC doubleheader tomorrow at Noon.

 

 

Northwest Nazarene 7, MSU Billings 3 (Mar 18, 2011 at Nampa,Idaho) (Game 1)
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MSU Billings........ 001 002 000  -  3 12  5      (7-11, 0-5)
Northwest Nazarene.. 121 021 00X  -  7 13  0      (16-5, 5-4)
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Pitchers: MSU Billings - Vulk; Sanchez(5); Waldorf(6) and Kachel. Northwest Nazarene -
Brodrick,J.T.; Hruza,Kalen(6); Hiler,Jacob(7) and Udy,Ryan.
Win-Brodrick,J.T.(4-1)  Save-Hiler,Jacob(1)  Loss-Vulk(0-2)  T-3:02  A-0
Weather: 50F, Windy
Vulk faced 2 batters in the 5th.
Game: NNUBB21

 

MSU Billings 6, Northwest Nazarene 5 (Mar 18, 2011 at Nampa,Idaho) (Game 2)
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MSU Billings........ 501 000 0 -  6  8  1      (8-11, 1-5)
Northwest Nazarene.. 000 103 1 -  5  6  2      (16-6, 5-5)
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Pitchers: MSU Billings - Kennedy; Smith,A.(4); Howe(7) and Kachel. Northwest Nazarene -
Pollock,Charles; Patterson,Patrick(1) and Henry,Justin.
Win-Smith,A.(3-1)  Save-Howe(3)  Loss-Pollock,Charles(3-2)  T-2:24  A-148
HR MSUB - Ridgeway (3).
HR NNU - VanBeek,Ryan (1).
Weather: 50F, Windy
Game: NNUBB22