Box Score

NAMPA, Idaho – The fight in the Crusaders was fantastic. Unfortunately, the finish wasn't.

A trio of home runs and a series of valiant comebacks all went for naught Wednesday night at Elmore Vail Field on the Northwest Nazarene campus as Lewis-Clark State pulled out an 11-10 win in 12 innings over the Crusaders in nonconference baseball.

"No disrespect intended for Lewis-Clark State, they're a great program, but in the future I think our program is going to learn to win these type of games," NNU head coach Rocke Musgraves said.

The Crusaders (18-18, 7-9 GNAC) battled out of a 6-1 early hole and tied the game with a two-out RBI single by Tate Glasgow in the bottom of the ninth, forcing extra innings.

NNU then rallied down a pair of runs in the 12^th, plating one before stranding the tying run at second in the disheartening setback.

"There's just a couple situations during baseball games that we need to get better at," Musgraves said. "Unfortunately, some of our base-running really cost us.
"But we will lick our wounds and thank the good Lord for the opportunity to play this great game and get ready to go back at it this weekend."

The Crusaders are back in action – and return to GNAC play – with a weekend series at St. Martin's that has been pushed back to Saturday and Monday because of the threat of rain on the West Coast. NNU will play a doubleheader at 2 p.m. (MT) on Saturday in Lacey, Wash., then finish off the four-game series with a 1 p.m. (MT) doubleheader on Monday.

NNU will go into the series at St. Martin's with some momentum despite the heartbreak Wednesday night, as a two-run double off Glasgow's bat in the bottom of the fourth sparked the first Crusader comeback.

Glasgow's blast to center plated Jesse Hilyard and Tucker Campbell, but Nick Strange was thrown out at the plate on the play costing NNU a potential run.

A costly out as Tim Jones ripped a triple to center that scored Glasgow, but could have been a two-run base knock.

Instead, NNU settled for cutting into a 6-1 deficit with three runs and trailed 6-4 headed into the fifth.

It stayed right there until the seventh inning when Tyler Davis and Hilyard each hit two-run homers for the Crusaders, giving NNU the lead.
 

Davis' fourth homer in six days for the Crusaders tied the score, 6-6, then Hilyard hit his second home run of the ballgame to put NNU on top 8-6. The freshman slugger hit a solo shot in the bottom of the second to get NNU on the board.

The Crusader lead didn't last long as a three-run rally in the top of the eighth by LCSC (25-7, 10-2 NAIA West) put NNU right back in comeback mode.

That comeback waited until the bottom of the ninth when Glasgow came through in the clutch for the Crusaders, shooting a base hit back up the middle and into center field, chasing home Campbell with the game-tying run.

All tied, 9-9, the game headed into extra innings where a two-run home run by Seth Brown in the top of the 12^th finally snapped the draw.

Undaunted, NNU rallied in the bottom half of the inning, loading the bases for Davis who provided an RBI sacrifice fly before the Crusaders ran out of comebacks, stranding the tying run at second base to end the game.

Hilyard and Glasgow each had three hits and three RBIs to lead the Crusader offense on the day.