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MONMOUTH, Ore. – Disappointing, and motivating.

The Crusader baseball team threw everything it had at Western Oregon looking for a win to clinch the program's first postseason berth since 1992.

Somehow, the Wolves found a way to stave off Northwest Nazarene and complete a Great Northwest Athletic Conference doubleheader sweep on Friday, winning 11-3 and 1-0.

"It was certainly a very disappointing day," said NNU head baseball coach Rocke Musgraves. "Western Oregon did the small things and we didn't."

But a day that will motivate the Crusaders even more as they head into a regular-season ending doubleheader on Saturday against the host Wolves with two more chances to get that one playoff-clinching victory.

The day started well for NNU (26-25, 14-16 GNAC) as a two-out, two run double by Tate Glasgow put the Crusader on top 2-0- in the top of the second inning in Friday's opening game.

Western Oregon, which needs every win to clinch its 13^th straight GNAC regular season title, responded with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the inning, forcing another rally by NNU.

An Andrew Helmstadter RBI double in the top of the third inning put NNU right back on top, but the Wolves (25-22, 20-10) erased the Crusader advantage with a six-run rally that proved to be a game-winner.

Determined to secure a postseason berth, the Crusader rallied in the nightcap carried by the arm of freshman pitcher Ross Clevenger.

"Hats off to Ross Clevenger, he gave us a complete game when we really needed it," said Musgraves.

Clevenger was dazzling in a pitcher's duel with Western Oregon senior Jesse Pratt, who came in leading the GNAC in wins (6) and ERA (2.62).

All the Wolves could muster was a lone unearned run in the bottom of the first against NNU's freshman hurler, but that turned out to be just enough.

Western Oregon's defense proved even more spectacular than Clevenger's effort for NNU, and that defensive effort was highlighted in the top of the seventh inning as the Crusaders rallied, looking for a last at-bat win.

With runners at the corners and no one out, first Western Oregon first baseman threw out an NNU base runner at home looking to tie the game.

Left fielder Matt Taylor then threw out another Crusader runner at home on the very next play before a strikeout left NNU one disappointing run short.

But not heartbreaking, as the Crusaders get two more shots on Saturday at Western Oregon, and two more shots at that one playoff-clinching win.

"We have two strong horses in Blake Mitchell and Colben McGuire going to throw tomorrow and our bullpen is ready," Musgraves said, looking ahead to Saturday's doubleheader, which begins at 1 p.m. (MT).

Helmstadter had a pair of hits in the opener to lead NNU's offense in that game, while Kyle Thomson had two hits in the nightcap. Glasgow and Kaleb DeHaas each added a base knock in each contest for the Crusaders.