Game 1 
Game 2

Click here to see pictures from the 2013 Cancer Awareness Festivities

NAMPA, Idaho - Hundreds ringed the infield at Elmore Vail Field on the Northwest Nazarene campus in Nampa, Idaho on Saturday, as part of Cancer Awareness Day festivities.  

The event honored families and friends whose lives have been touched by cancer, remembered those who lost their fight to the disease, and celebrated survivors and those still fighting cancer. The event also raised funds to help fight cancer through sales of special pink-trimmed NNU baseball hats and the sale of the special pink jerseys worn by the Crusader baseball team.

Once the pre-game event conclude, the day was dominated by Montana State Billings' offense, which plated 24 runs on 37 hits to sweep the Great Northwest Athletic Conference doubleheader, 8-2 and 16-0.

The sweep inched the Yellow Jackets (18-24 overall, 14-13 GNAC) closer to securing the third and final berth to the first-ever GNAC baseball tournament, and severely damaged the hopes of NNU (20-25 overall, 11-17 GNAC) of making the postseason.

The Yellow Jackets came out swinging with a pair of hits in each of the first four innings of the first game, but Crusaders refused to let any of those early base runners cross the plate.

Center fielder Logan Parker threw out a runner at second to end the first, Skyler Souza's long throw from shortstop finished off the second, pitcher Jeremy Burk delivered a looking strikeout to keep MSU Billings scoreless after three innings and an unassisted groundout to first baseman Sam Cook ended the fourth.

The Crusaders fared far differently, loading the bases in the bottom of the second and scoring a run on a Tate Glasgow RBI groundout to second and a bad-hop single past 'Jackets second baseman Colter Sternhagen off the bat of Parker.

Trailing 2-0, persistence at the plate finally paid off for the Yellow Jackets when Steven DeYoung's bases loaded, RBI single to right-center got MSU Billings on the board and started a three-run rally in the top of the sixth.

Justin Harcharik's first home run of the season, a solo shot to left, ignited a four-run eight for the 'Jackets and Austin Rue added an RBI single in the top of the ninth, capping the offensive onslaught by MSU Billings, which collected 20 hits and saw every batter collect at least one base hit in the opening win.

Brady Muller (5-3) benefitted from all the offense, striking out six in eight-plus innings on the hill to earn the win.
The Yellow Jackets then completed the sweep sparked by a two-out rally that broke open the nightcap.

With two outs in the top of the third, MSU Billings collect six straight base hits with two outs, chasing home five runners for a 5-0 lead. Colby Robison had an RBI double in the rally, while Drew Fosnes, Sternhagen, Orrin Pyrah and Harcharik each added an RBI single.

Sternhagen's three-run home run capped a five-run rally in the fourth for MSU Billings, and a two-run homer by Brody Miller in the fifth put the 'Jackets comfortably in front 12-0.

All 10 Yellow Jackets batters in the nightcap had at least one RBI, and starting pitcher Samuel Paterson (5-5) benefitted from all the offense, earning the complete-game win, pitching a three-hit shutout.

Robison led the MSU Billings offense, going 7-for-10 with five RBIs in the doubleheader.

The nightcap was the final home game for NNU seniors Greg Hata, Fernando Robles, Jon Matos, Charlie Gorzo, Jamie Mitchell, Burk and Parker.

Matos had a hit in the nightcap and pitched 1 1-3 innings in relief in the opener for the Crusaders, while Gorzo and Parker each had a pair of hits on the day, and Robles and Mitchell also had a base hit, respectively.

Burk struck out two pitching into the sixth as the Crusaders' game one starter, taking a no decision.

NNU concludes the season with GNAC doubleheaders at St. Martin's on May 3 and May 4.