NAMPA, Idaho - Pinch-hitter Greg Hata delivered a two-out game-ending RBI single in the bottom of the ninth as Northwest Nazarene scored two runs in the inning to defeat Western Oregon 9-8 in the opening game of a doubleheader at Vail Field in Nampa Saturday.
The Crusader win ended a 10-game Wolf winning streak. WOU (27-8, 16-2), however, bounced back to hit seven home runs and win the second game 22-3 to maintain an eight-game lead over NNU (19-16, 8-10) and Central Washington (15-19, 7-9) in the conference race.
Hata's hit capped a comeback from 6-2 deficit after 4 1/2 innings. NNU closed to within one run in the fifth scoring three runs on a bunt by catcher Jamie Mitchell, on a wild pitch and on a single by DH Sean McDonald.
NNU tied the game in the seventh on a two-run home run by third baseman Kaleb DeHaas only to fall behind 8-7 in the eighth on a RBI single by first baseman Bo Folkinga.
But in the ninth, McDonald tied the game with a single right before Hata delivered the game-winner.
McDonald had four of NNU's 10 hits. First baseman Derek Bettinson hit a two-run home run in the fourth for the Crusaders' first two runs.
Folkinga led WOU with three hits and two RBI, while third baseman Griff Boyd had two hits and three RBI. Center fielder AJ Royal and second baseman Josh Solemsaas hit solo home runs for the Wolves in the second and sixth innings.
NNU led briefly in the second game going ahead 2-0 in the second on a two-run home run by right fielder Zack Morse, but Western Oregon then exploded for 11 runs in the third.
That frame featured a pair of two-run doubles by right fielder David Amberson and shortstop Blake Miller, a three-run home run by DH Brady Locker, a solo shot by catcher Kyle Blackwell, a two-run blast by Boyd and another solo home run by Gange.
Folkinga then led off a four-run fourth inning with a solo home run and Gange completed the inning with a three-run four-bagger. Folkinga homered again for a run in the fifth.
The Wolves tacked on two runs in the sixth on a double by Eric Copenhagen and four in the seventh, one on a wild pitch, two on a single by Garrett Harpole and one on a double by Miller.
Aaron Vaughn (2-2) pitched the final four innings of the opener to earn the win for NNU. AJ Burke hurled four innings in the second game to improve to 3-0 for Western Oregon.
