until it hits home with somebody close to you and then you realize just how important the awareness is."

"We had the idea for an awareness day, but it really took off when we met Bruce (Wheeler), who is over at MSTI and is an NNU alum.  It is a great partnership and a great way to give back to our community."

"The team does so much fundraising over the course of the season, it's important to teach our players that we need to give back as well.  We do community service work, but this is another way for the kids to see the impact they can have within our community and help support a great helping organization like MSTI."

Game One

Jamie Mitchell's two-run single in the second gave the Crusaders an early lead and starter Charles Pollock (5-3) scattered six hits to earn the victory on the hill.

Saint Martin's Chandler Tracy accounted for Pollock's only run, a lead-off solo home run in the fourth, his sixth of the year.

NNU scored the game-winner in the sixth after Zach Steele and Logan Parker both singled.  Charlie Gorzo moved Steele and Parker to second and third with a sacrifice bunt, but a throwing error by SMU third baseman Bobby Twedt following a Fernando Robles pop fly allowed Steele to score the unearned tally.

The Crusaders tacked on an insurance run in the eighth after Parker and Gorzo both singled and Robles plated Parker with a sacrifice fly ball to right field.

Jeremy Burk came out of the bullpen to relieve Pollock in the eighth, but faced only two batters, allowing a walk to Twedt and a single to Mario Sanelli.  NNU called on Sean McDonald and the senior answered by getting an round-the-horn double play with Tracy at bat and then struck out Travis Jones to the inning.  McDonald worked a scoreless ninth to earn the save, his third of the year.

Parker led the Crusaders with three hits and both McDonald and Mitchell had two.

McDonald's two hits moved the senior into a tie with Ruben Burciaga ('98-'01) as NNU's all-time career hits leader with 218.

Nate O'Bryan (2-7) took the loss for Saint Martin's.

Game Two

The Crusaders scored two in the first and never trailed in winning game two 7-6.

NNU added three in the third courtesy of a Gorzo two-run single to center field and a sacrifice fly off the bat of Zach Morse and scored one more in the fourth as Jon Matos singled and would eventually score on a sacrifice flyball from Parker.

Parker would also plate the game-winner in the sixth, doubling to left center to score McDonald, who had walked to lead-off the inning.

The Saints cut the lead to 2-1 in the second after Travis Shaw hit his first home run of the season and then again reduced the lead in the fourth on Zach Leonard's second home run of the year, a two-run shot that made it 5-3.

NNU led 7-3 into the top of the seventh, but the Saints rallied against NNU starter Zeb Sneed, loading the bases on a hit batter, a single by Twedt and a walk to Sanelli.

The Crusaders again called on McDonald, who struck out Spencer Dodd and Stephen Mahnken to end the game after SMU pushed three across.

Sneed earned the win and moved to 6-4 on the year and McDonald earned his fourth save of the season and second of the day.

"Any time we can get four wins you are happy with the effort," Onofrei continued.  "We assured ourselves of another winning season, which is the mark of a successful program, but we are disappointed that we do not have a shot at any post-season play.  However, we will take this positive momentum going into the final weekend of games and the off-season."

The Crusaders will host Central Washington next weekend in the final four-game GNAC series of the season.