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NAMPA, Idaho — The Crusaders raced from their dugout and mobbed senior Tyler Davis on the infield.

It's been a while since Northwest Nazarene got to celebrate like this.

For the first time in three seasons under head coach Rocke Musgraves the NNU baseball team celebrated a walk-off win at Elmore Vail Field as Tyler Davis' RBI single to center gave the Crusaders their first lead of the day and the win to split a doubleheader with visiting Central Washington.

NNU took the nightcap on Davis' winner, 2-1, while the Wildcats took the first game of Friday's the Great Northwest Athletic Conference twinbill, 9-3.

The two teams, who are battling for the mid-season league lead, meet again Saturday in another doubleheader starter at 1 p.m. following an Easter Egg Hunt for kids ages 12-and-under at noon on the NNU track.

"I'm extremely proud of my guys," Musgraves said. "We got our rear kicked in that first game; we responded with some hunger that second game.

"It's a crazy game — you've got to have a short memory or this game will kill you."

NNU (14-10 overall, 9-5 GNAC) shook off a lackluster opener that saw the Wildcats score early and often en route to the victory.

The Crusaders responded with a great effort on the hill from Colton Loomis (5-2) in the nightcap, as Loomis struck out six and gave up just one run on four hits.

"Loomis responded like Loomis always does," Musgraves said. "He's our go-to guy. The tighter the situation gets, the tougher he gets."

The one run came when Tanner Romo singled to center with two outs in the top of the second inning, plating Justin Adams and giving CWU a 1-0 lead.

That put NNU back into catch-up mode; a roll the team played all day.

Davis finally drew the Crusaders even with an RBI single through the left side of the infield with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning, setting the stage for a dramatic finish.

Still tied 1-1 headed into their final at-bat, the Crusaders looked to have won it on one swing from Ryan Johnson, who belted a two-out line drive to left that looked like it might have cleared the fence but was ruled a double, hitting inches away from the top of the wall.

NNU didn't let the big blast go to waste as the Wildcats intentionally walked Andrew Helmstadter and opted to pitch to Davis with two outs and two on.

"Tyler came up with two huge hits," Musgraves said. "When they intentionally walked Drew to get to Tyler, I think he took it personal.

"He did a great job of slowing his at-bat down," NNU's coach added of the game-winning hit.

Davis, the GNAC leader in home runs and the Crusaders' RBI leader this season, delivered in the clutch, ripping a single to center that easily scored Johnson from second and set off the first walk-off win celebration for NNU since Coach Musgraves took over the squad.

Davis finished the day 3-for-6, including a 2-for-2 effort in the nightcap, while Spencer Pollock had a home run in the opener for NNU, which also got an RBI single from Johnson and a pair of hits from Jesse Hilyard in game one.