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AZUSA, Calif. — To say Colton Loomis was untouchable doesn't even describe his performance Friday night in California.

The senior right-hander wrote his name into Northwest Nazarene's record books, becoming just the fifth pitcher to hurler a no-hitter at a foe, closing out a 7-6 and 4-0 doubleheader sweep by the Crusaders of host Azusa Pacific.

"I watch Loomis every day doing something extra to get better and he's starting to see the fruits of his labor," NNU head baseball coach Rocke Musgraves said.

"Champions do more than they're asked to do. Colton Loomis is definitely a champion. He was able to attack hitters with three quality pitches tonight and kept them off balance the entire evening."

Loomis struck out seven Cougar batters and walked four, as APU managed six base-runners, but not a single base hit.

A walk, an error and a hit batter loaded the sacks for the Cougars in the bottom of the fifth, but a strikeout and a groundout to first kept Loomis' shutout in tack, as well.

Loomis (2-1) got all the offensive help he'd need in the top of the first as the hot-hitting Tyler Davis doubled in the game-winner, then he scored on a Ryan Johnson RBI single for a 2-0 lead.

The Crusaders (5-4 overall) then tacked on an unearned run in both the second and fourth innings, giving Loomis some added insurance.

Not that it was needed as Loomis dominated in the seven-inning, complete-game win, becoming the first Crusader pitcher to throw a no-hitter since Roger Evenson and Steven Schutte combined on a five-inning no-hitter on March 25, 2003, a 10-0 mercy-rule shortened win over Eastern Oregon.

"Davis and (Tucker) Campbell made big defensive plays late to keep the no-hitter," Musgraves said. "I've got to believe they would have run through a wall to catch the ball those last two innings."

The no-hitter capped an amazing day for the Crusaders who got a pair of solo home runs from Davis in the opener, and a two-run shot from Johnson, to hold off the Cougars (3-8).

Johnson's two-run blast in the second inning gave the Crusaders an early 2-0 edge, and Davis' first of the game and second of the weekend series made it 3-0 in the top of the third.

A Colton McCluskey RBI double gave NNU a 4-0 lead, but the Cougars rallied for five runs in the fourth.

The Crusaders responded with a Jonathon Hallman two-run single to center, then Davis' third homer of the series made it 7-5 in the seventh.

"We are starting to get some production from the middle of the order," said Musgraves. "Davis did a great job of anticipating how Azusa was going to pitch him. That's the sign of a mature hitter instead of just a swinger."
 
Davis finished the day 3-for-8 with three RBIs, while Hallman and Johnson each had two hits in the opener, and Josh Hatfield and Johnson had a pair of base knocks each in the nightcap.

On top 7-5, NNU hung on from there as Jaramy Jacobs (1-2) earned his first win in a Crusader uniform, striking out five and scattering three hits in five innings on the hill.

Tyler Marsh held the lead with 3 2-3 innings of stellar relief, fanning four, then Ryan Nyborg earned his third save, retiring the final batter of the game and stranding the tying run at first base.

"Our pitching staff did a great job competing today," Musgraves said. "This ballpark lends itself to a lot of offense and our pitchers kept their focus and competed unselfishly."

The Crusaders now go for the series win on Saturday as the two teams play at 1 p.m. (mountain time) in the finale of their four-game series.

"Now we need to prove to ourselves that we can finish a series," NNU's coach said.