Box Score

AZUSA, Calif. — One bad inning and the Crusaders saw the game slip away.

Riding high after Colton Loomis' no-hitter Friday night, the Northwest Nazarene baseball team battled hard against host Azusa Pacific, looking to secure the series win, but a three-run rally by the Cougars helped them score a 6-2 victory in nonconference action Saturday afternoon.

"Today's result surprised me," NNU head baseball coach Rocke Musgraves said. "I've got to give a lot of credit to the Azusa Pacific's pitching staff, they came right at us."

The Cougars limited NNU (5-5 overall) to just four hits on the day, though two of those base knocks came around to score as the Crusaders kept the game even early.

Colton McCluskey singled and scored on an error in the top of the third, tying the game 1-1 for NNU, and Ryan Johnson singled and scored on another error in the fourth, knotting the score at 2-2.

Then the Cougars (4-8) pulled away, plating three in the bottom half of the fourth and adding a run in the eighth to split the four-game series with NNU at two games apiece.

Spencer Pollock and Johnathon Hallman had the other two hits for the Crusaders, who now head into Great Northwest Athletic Conference play in two weeks, playing doubleheaders at St. Martin's on March 4-5.

"We have two weeks to get ready for conference," Musgraves said, looking ahead. "We'll use our time wisely and prepare.

"We'll be ready!"