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NAMPA, Idaho – Another standout performance on the hill ended up in just another loss for the Crusaders.

Starting pitcher Blake Mitchell carried Northwest Nazarene into the eighth inning with his right arm, but the offense never clicked for NNU, which fell 3-0 and 8-0 to Montana State Billings in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference doubleheader Saturday at Elmore Vail Field on the NNU campus.

"I know this group of players, I know that everybody's very disappointed, but since I do know them so well I know we'll put in the work this week to get it turned around," NNU head baseball coach Rocke Musgraves said.

"The core character is there in this group and we're going to be alright when it's all said and done."
 

Seeing the Yellowjackets win both of Friday's games in their last at-bat might have dampened the Crusaders spirits headed into Saturday's contests, as NNU (14-15, 4-8 GNAC) collected just seven hits in the twinbill and stranded a dozen baserunners, including seven in scoring position.

That proved costly in the opener as Mitchell gave up just an unearned run in the fourth in a pitcher's duel through seven innings, suffering the hard-luck loss.

The Yellowjackets (11-16, 6-5) tacked on two more runs in the eighth to help ice the win against a Crusader squad that managed just a hit apiece from Tyler Davis, Andrew Helmstadter and Kaleb DeHaas.

In the nightcap, a three-run homer by Luke Reinschmidt got MSU Billings rolling in the top of the first and NNU never answered.

Matt Lightfoot, Tucker Campbell, Skyler Penrod and Jesse Hilyard each had a hit in the nightcap for the Crusaders, who look to bounce back quickly as they play a mid-week nonconference game at long-time Canyon County rival The College of Idaho at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday.