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WAIPAHU, Hawaii – The Crusaders battled to grab a lead, but inning after inning, they just couldn't break a tie.

The Northwest Nazarene baseball team played its third one-run game at Hawaii Pacific, and for the third time came up one run short in a 3-2 loss to the Sea Warriors in 11 innings in the nightcap of a nonconference doubleheader on Saturday.

The Sea Warriors (4-0 overall) won the day's opener 12-1.

"These are the times that make great ballclubs," NNU baseball coach Rocke Musgraves said of the three heartbreaking loses, which included another extra-inning loss in the season opener on Friday.

"Anything in life that is worth something usually involves some pain and sacrifice," NNU's first-year coach added. "I still think that if we can just start doing the little things, then the big things will take care of themselves."

NNU (0-4) did the little things to manufacture a 2-1 lead in the top of the fourth in the nightcap, as Ryan Johnson walked and scored on an Anthony Flatt groundout off the leg of HPU pitcher Doug Christie.

Nick Morelli then gave the Crusaders a 2-1 lead with a sacrifice fly to right.

The Sea Warriors came back in the bottom of the fifth with a two-out RBI single from Derek Nakasato, then both teams settled in for a long, scoreless battle.

A battle that ended when HPU pinch-hitter James Carraway rolled a seeing-eye single through the left side of the drawn in Crusader infield, scoring pinch-runner Shannon White from third with one out.

"After getting boat-raced in the opener, we came out and battled for 11 innings," Musgraves said. "Losing three one-run games is tough to swallow, but I think it just shows our guys we can play with these good teams."

The only game that wasn't a one-run battle was Saturday's opener as HPU got its offensive rolling with a five-run second inning and kept tacking on runs.

Johnson doubled home the lone run for NNU in the opening-game loss, and led the Crusaders offense on the day, going 3-for-7 in the doubleheader.

Morelli and Sam Cook each picked up a hit in each game of the twinbill for NNU, which gets Sunday off before wrapping up the five-game opening series at 6 p.m. (MT) on Monday with a single game at HPU.