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NAMPA, Idaho — When the rain stop and the mud settled in this first-place slugfest, the Crusaders found themselves with three wins in a row over rival Western Oregon, and almost a second miraculous comeback victory.

The Northwest Nazarene baseball team took 3-of-4 on the weekend in a battle for the Great Northwest Athletic Conference lead, fending off the Wolves, 9-6, in Saturday's opener, then erasing a 7-run first-inning deficit before falling 9-8 on a tying-breaking RBI double in Western Oregon's final at-bat.

"Very proud of the progress we are making with our mental approach to baseball," NNU head baseball coach Rocke Musgraves said after his team closed a two-game gap on the Wolves by winning the weekend series.

"We are beginning to develop an attitude that we can always come back," added Musgraves, whose team won six of the eight games in the two teams' season series.

Still riding high after erasing an 8-0 deficit late Friday night to rally for a 14-10 win over the Wolves, NNU had to wait patiently for the rain to subside before finally getting underway Saturday.

Once they hit the diamond, the Crusaders (24-16 overall, 19-11 GNAC) took control early as a Brett Nielsen RBI single in the bottom of the first made it 1-0, then Tyler Davis and Tucker Campbell each drove in a run in the third for NNU.

Western Oregon (25-16, 20-11) chipped away at the NNU advantage all game, but the Crusaders responded with a rally of their own each time, going up as much as 8-4 late on a Brady Baker RBI single in the sixth before settling for the three-run victory.

Ross Clevenger (5-1) earned the win on the hill, giving up four runs on six hits over the first six innings, and Colton Loomis pitched a strong final three innings to earn his first save of the season.

Looking for the series sweep, instead NNU found itself in another deep hole early against the Wolves, who plated seven runs in the top of the first in the nightcap — much like Friday night when WOU pushed home eight runs before the Crusaders could record an out.

And, similar to Friday night, the Crusaders rallied.

Davis and Nielsen hit back-to-back home runs in a five-run third inning for NNU, which got an RBI double from Nielsen and a game-tying RBI single from Spencer Pollock to knot the score at 7-7 after five frames.
 

The Wolves got a one-run lead in the sixth, which an RBI single by Davis erased, before a final run in the top of the seventh allowed Western Oregon to escape with a win as NNU's propensity for comebacks came up just short.

"I like the way our guys are bouncing back after things don't go our way," Musgraves said of the Crusaders determination on the weekend.

An effort that will serve NNU well as it hits the road for four games at Central Washington next Friday and Saturday before concluding the regular season hosting Concordia on May 5-6.

Two big weeks as the Crusaders look to wrap up a second straight GNAC Tournament berth and possibly the right to host the playoffs as the regular season champion.

"We have an important week of practice to get ready for Central Washington," Musgraves said, not looking a pitch past NNU's upcoming foe.

Davis led the way for NNU on the day, going 5-for-9 with five RBIs and hitting his league-leading 12^th home run, while Pollock, Campbell and Nielsen all added three hits apiece in the twinbill.