Box Score 1 | Box Score 2



BILLINGS, Mont. – Determined to make the playoffs, a focused Northwest Nazarene baseball team took a big step toward the Great Northwest Athletic Conference postseason on Friday.

Senior Sam Cook set the tone for the Crusaders with an RBI double in the first inning and a two-run single in the third, igniting a 10-1 win over host Montana State Billings in a GNAC doubleheader.

Colben McGuire then dominated on the hill for a second-straight outing, this time getting just enough offensive help to score a 2-1 victory.

"The team that showed up today brought their competitive spirit," NNU baseball coach Rocke Musgraves said.

The sweep sets up a dramatic season-ending doubleheader for NNU as they play the Yellowjackets on Saturday starting at 1 p.m. MSU Billings needs to sweep the two games to have a chance to advance as the third-place team to the three-team GNAC playoffs.

NNU needs a sweep to assure itself that same playoff spot, or one win and a loss by St. Martin's, which hosts Central Washington in a doubleheader Saturday.

But to ensure they remained in the postseason hunt, the Crusaders needed a big day Friday, and got it from so many players, starting with pitchers Andrew Groves and McGuire who each delivered complete-game victories.

"Groves and McGuire did a great job of following the game-plan," Musgraves said. "Both of them were able to locate pitches according to the plan."

Groves (3-5) struck out four and scattered nine hits, only allowing one run in the ninth to the Yellowjackets.

And he got plenty of offensive help as Kyle Thomson and Ben Circeo each drove in a run in the fourth inning for a 5-0 lead, then Tate Glasgow's two-run homer in the seventh inning virtually iced the win.

But the Crusaders (18-29 overall, 13-17 GNAC) added a run in the eighth on an MSU Billings error, and got a two-run double from Josh Hatfield in the ninth for a commanding 10-0 lead.

Circeo, Cook and Hatfield each collected three hits apiece in the first game win.

In game two Friday, the NNU offense went right back to work as Thomson led off the game with a walk and scored on a Glasgow RBI single to right.

Glasgow then scored on a fly ball to left later in the top of the first, providing all the offense McGuire (2-6) needed.

The reigning Red Lion GNAC Pitcher of the Week dominated NAIA powerhouse Lewis-Clark State six days earlier, striking out four and allowing just one run in nine innings, but suffered a 1-0 loss.

Again McGuire dominated, again striking out four, scattering seven hits and allowing just one run to MSU Billings (14-30, 11-19) in the third.

McGuire and his teammates made sure that was the only Yellowjackets' run, though, as Brad Birch led off the sixth with a double and Casey Merritt doubled to start the seventh.

Both moved to third with one out, but 90 feet away from tying the game, Birch was stranded as Circeo grabbed a Trevor Nix grounder with the infielder draw in for the second out in the sixth, then McGuire struck out Myles Berkram to end the threat.

In the seventh, with Merritt at third, the Crusaders opted to intentional walk Brody Miller and the gambit paid off when Kevin Toon grounded into a game-ending double play.

"I was proud of our middle infielders under pressure," Musgraves said.

Thomson, Glasgow and Hatfield each had a hit in the second game, as NNU was outhit 7-3, but did a better job converting its chances.

Setting up Saturday's dramatic final led in the race to the playoffs.