Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
HONOLULU, Hawaii – The Crusaders started the Rocke Musgraves era showing some fight, just not quite enough against host Hawaii Pacific.

After traveling 16 hours to Hawaii on Thursday, the Northwest Nazarene baseball team came out strong against Hawaii Pacific in both games, dropping a pair of one-run contests, 4-3 in 10 innings then 6-5 to the Sea Warriors in a season-opening doubleheader for both teams.

"I thought we competed at times, but we did not complete enough to be successful at this level," Musgraves said. "We did not compete in enough pitches of this doubleheader."

That allowed the Sea Warriors (2-0 overall) to spoil Musgraves' Crusader debut, as Hawaii Pacific rallied to erase early deficits in both games.

In the opener, Ryan Johnson's RBI triple in the top of the first set the tone for NNU (0-2), which grabbed the early lead, then got a strong start from Colben McGuire.

McGuire worked 5 1-3 innings in his Crusader debut, striking out six before turning it over to Tyler Marsh (0-1), who took the eventual loss.

But first, Marsh held NNU in the ballgame, giving the Crusaders time to erase a 3-1 deficit as Jeremy Richardson singled home Tate Glasgow in the seventh, then Kyle Thomson doubled and scored on a wild pitch in the eighth to force extra innings.

But the Sea Warriors grabbed the win when Derek Nakasato singled with one out, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on Chad Bolibol's double to left-center that just eluded the glove of Johnson, who made a diving attempt at the grab.

"I think we'll be alright when we don't become so emotionally invested in our at-bats and our pitches," Musgraves said. "In the game of baseball, you have to have a short memory, and sometimes you can care too much."

The Crusaders tried to erase the memory of the first-game loss with a three-run outburst in the top of the first of the nightcap, a rally highlighted by Anthony Flatt's two-run single.

NNU starter Aaron Vaughn (0-1) struck out the side in the first two innings, and a Flatt RBI double gave the Crusaders a 4-1 edge in the third.

But the Sea Warriors again rallied, scoring four runs in the fourth and a run in the fifth, then held on as NNU Nick Morelli doubled home a run in the sixth.

But with just one out and the tying and go-ahead runs at third and second base after Morelli's double, Crusaders could not drive home either.

"The good news is, all these things are fixable, and I know this group well and I think they will do everything within their power to get better," Musgraves said. "This is two of 50 games this year so we just have to realize that this is really a marathon, not a sprint."

Thomson, Tate Glasgow, Flatt and Josh Hatfield all collected three hits each in the doubleheader, hitting safely in both games to lead NNU's offense.

The Crusaders will be back in action today in another doubleheader at Hawaii Pacific, with first-pitch at 5 p.m. (MT). Listen to the games live online at www.nnusports.com.