Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

NAMPA, Idaho – It's one of the biggest keys to success on the diamond — a short memory.

The Crusaders quickly shook the bad memory of seeing a game slip away in the ninth inning, rallying to dominate in a 7-0 victory over Central Washington to earn a split with the Wildcats in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference doubleheader Friday night at Elmore Vail Field on the Northwest Nazarene campus.

"You've got to have a short memory," NNU baseball coach

worked a one-two-three top of the first inning in game two, then

hit his first home run of the season, a two-run shot to left — one of four dingers on the day by NNU — and Cook added an RBI single for the commanding 7-0 lead.

That erased the memories of a see-saw battle in the opener that was decided by a three-run rally by the Wildcats (19-14, 12-10) in the top of the ninth.

CWU grabbed a 4-1 edge, but NNU rallied as Tate Glasgow's solo homer to left-center tied the game, 4-4 in the bottom of the sixth, just before the first collegiate home run by Andrew Helmstadter, a two-run blast to left that put NNU on top 6-4.

CWU answered with three in the eighth, grabbing a 7-6 lead, but one swing by Ryan Johnson — the Crusaders third home run of the game — tied it 7-7 after eight innings.

But back-to-back RBI doubles by Ethan Sterkel and Jake Levin broke the tie for a final time, giving the Wildcats the opening win of the four-game weekend series that continues today at noon with Cancer Awareness Day ceremonies followed by first pitch at 12:30 p.m.

Cook led the Crusaders in the twinbill, collecting six hits in the two games, while Circeo added five hits and Thomson had two hits in each game of the doubleheader for NNU.

"The confidence is just growing and growing," Musgraves said of his team. "I just like to see it, they're working hard and good things are going to happen."