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BILLINGS, Mont. – One week ago, the Crusaders needed one win to earn a playoff berth.

After two dramatic contests Thursday at the Great Northwest Athletic Conference baseball tournament, Northwest Nazarene now finds itself one win away from the GNAC championship.

"I'm more happy for my guys than anything," NNU head baseball coach Rocke Musgraves said. "I want them to experience what it's like to play for a championship, and right now I think they're enjoying it."

Senior ace pitcher Colben McGuire set the tone for the day on the hill, throwing a four-hitter at Western Oregon for eight innings as NNU opened the tournament with a 3-2 win over the 13-time GNAC champs.

Riding the momentum of the opening victory, senior reliever Andrew Groves gave the Crusaders 4 2-3 innings of dazzling work out of the bullpen in an 8-6 win over tournament host and GNAC regular-season champs, Montana State Billings.

The pair of victories leaves NNU (29-26 overall) unbeaten in the tournament, needing one win Friday over Western Oregon to claim the program's first championship in its NCAA era. The Crusaders go for the title at noon against the Wolves at Dehler Park in Billings, Mont. WOU needs to beat NNU twice on Friday to claim the GNAC tournament crown.

McGuire (5-4) set the tone for Thursday's Crusader sweep, giving up just a two-run homer to the Wolves' Brandon Oliver.

"Colben, that was big – we needed a senior to step up for us and he really did today," said Musgraves as McGuire struck out four in the win. "He was moving the ball around in the zone, just like a veteran; in and out, up and down, changing speeds; really pitching instead of just throwing."

Which led to a four-hit, dominating performance against WOU (27-24), which merely tied the game, 2-2, with Oliver's homer as NNU freshman right-fielder Tim Jones spotted his senior teammate a two-run lead with a two-run homer of his own for the Crusaders in the top of the second inning.

Aside from those two big swings it was a pitcher's duel, as the game stayed knotted, 2-2, into the ninth.

That's when Kyle Thomson coaxed a lead-off walk, then Jesse Hilyard doubled down the left-field line with no one out, giving NNU the chance for the win.

Senior Tate Glasgow snapped the tie with a single to left, chasing home pinch-runner Matt Lightfoot, then on came closer Colton Loomis to shut down the Wolves in the ninth inning, earning the save and securing a first victory in NNU's first postseason baseball game since the 1992 season.

"Loomis is our closer, our go-to guy, and he did his job," said Musgraves. "He just comes in in pressure situations and he just gets it done."

He'd get another chance in NNU's second game of the day, this one against the host Yellowjackets; a see-saw offensive affair.

Riding the momentum of the opening win, NNU grabbed a quick 1-0 lead on an Andrew Helmstadter RBI single in the top of the first inning, and stretched its lead to 4-1 on a two-run Helmstadter single in the top of the second.

The Yellowjackets (27-23) chipped away and eventually tied the game 5-5 in the fifth before Groves (3-5) stepped onto the hill for NNU.
 

The senior, who is No. 2 all-time in saves for NNU, cruised from there, giving up just one unearned run in the eighth inning, pitching the Crusaders within an out of victory.

"Groves just gave us 14 huge outs when outs were tough to come by," Musgraves said. "Another example of a senior coming in and really backing up the talk.

"I'm just really proud of him."

One big swing by teammate Tucker Campbell, who belted a two-run homer to left field in the top of the sixth, gave Groves an advantage he maintained until a two-out double in the ninth.

That's when the Crusaders called on Loomis to save another win, and he did exactly that, getting Corey Morris to ground out harmlessly to first to end the game and send NNU into Friday's championship.

Hilyard led the offense on the day for NNU, going 4-for-8, while Campbell added three hits and Glasgow hit safely in each game. Hilyard and Campbell also hit safely in each contest Thursday for NNU.

Helmstadter went 3-for-5 in the nightcap for the Crusaders, who also got a pair of hits each from Tyler Davis and Kaleb DeHaas against the Yellowjackets.

"We got the hits when we needed them, and I know that sounds cliché, but that's tough to do in playoff baseball," said Musgraves. "That's why I'm so proud of our guys coming through in the clutch because that takes resolve and character. They've been through some tough times this year, but I tell you what, they kept battling and now we're playing for a championship."