Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

MONMOUTH, Ore. – Andrew Groves was fantastic on the hill for the Crusaders on Saturday afternoon on the Western Oregon University campus.

Northwest Nazarene's junior right-hander struck out four batters and scattered four hits over eight dazzling innings work.

Unfortunately, the Wolves' Eric Huson was equally dazzling, holding the Crusaders to two hits over eight innings before turning the game over to Kody Stone who worked a scoreless ninth for the save in a 1-0 win over NNU.

That pitchers' duel victory fueled Western Oregon in the nightcap, which WOU won 13-2 to swept the day's Great Northwest Athletic Conference doubleheader.

"I'm very proud of Andrew Groves," NNU baseball coach Rocke Musgraves said, adding, "but as a team right now, we're getting in the batter's box and toeing the pitcher's rubber with too much doubt. A split-second of doubt keeps hitters and pitchers from being on time, and good timing is vital in baseball."

In Saturday's opener, the Crusaders (10-15 overall, 6-6 GNAC) tried to score early as Ryan Johnson walked to lead off the top of the first, stole second and moved to third on an infield single by Sam Cook, but was stranded 90 feet away from scoring.

That was the best threat by either team in the duel, which came down to one swing by Wolves designated hitter Tim Rausch, who led off the bottom of the fourth with a solo homer to left, the lone run of the game.

Despite not allowing another Wolves base-runner past second, Groves (1-3) still took the hard-luck loss as the Crusaders couldn't push another runner past second after their first-inning threat, either.

"Western Oregon is a first-class baseball program with outstanding coaches and athletes. With that being said, we could have very easily won three of the four games this weekend," said Musgraves, whose team lost Friday's series opener 3-2 before regrouping for a 3-1 victory in Friday's nightcap.

"It's no coincidence that we are 0-8 in one-run games. That doesn't just happen," NNU's coach added. "That's a lot of chances to win where we didn't rise to the occasion."

In Saturday's nightcap, the Crusaders started strong as Sam Cook drove in Kyle Thomson in the top of the first, and Josh Hatfield doubled home a run in the top of the third, giving the Crusaders leads of 1-0 and 2-1, respectively.

But the Wolves (15-10, 9-3), riding the momentum of the opening win, battled back and broke the game open with five runs in the third, then tacked on four in the fourth and three in the fifth to ice the win.

Thomson had a hit in each game of the twinbill to lead the offense for NNU, which now returns home and gets next weekend off before hosting Montana State Billings in a four-game series on March 28-29.

"We will use this next couple of weeks to get better," Musgraves said, looking ahead.

The weekend against the Yellowjackets will be a big one for the Crusaders who will look to give their coach, Rocke Musgraves, career victory No. 600. Musgraves currently has 598 career wins.