Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

BILLINGS, Mont. — The battle between the Great Northwest Athletic Conference's 2016 co-champions played out like a true title fight on Friday, coming down to the very last swing.

Unfortunately for the Crusaders, both of those final swings left Northwest Nazarene winless as host Montana State Billings used two last-at-bat rallies to score a sweep of a GNAC doubleheader, 7-5 and 12-11, at Dehler Park.

The second setback came on a two-out, two-run triple by Casey Merritt for the Yellowjackets, a bitter exclamation point on the day.

"Our guys battled tough in game two," NNU head coach Rocke Musgraves said, adding, "this is a big test for this team.

"We'll come out tomorrow and battle again," NNU's skipper said. "I've got to give Billings a lot of credit for the way they competed today."

Especially in the nightcap, as NNU (10-14 overall, 8-6 GNAC) built a commanding 8-1 lead in the top of the third inning as Billy King and Brett Nielsen each launched two-run home runs to right-field.
 

Spencer Pollock added a two-run double and Colton McCluskey's RBI single pushed the lead to 8-1, but it didn't last.

The Yellowjackets plated five runs in their half of the inning, signaling the type of game it'd be — a true see-saw battle.

The Crusaders answered the call with another Pollock RBI double and a Jarod Gonzales RBI groundout in the fourth, and a final Pollock RBI double in the top of the sixth inning put NNU comfortably in front 11-6 with just two more Yellowjacket at-bats left.

The lead grew less comfortable as MSU Billings (10-13, 8-5) plated three in the bottom of the sixth, then Tanner Watson hit a pinch-hit home run to lead off the seventh inning, making it a one-run game.

NNU managed to battle for a pair of outs, but with runners at the corners and MSU Billings down to its last swing, Merritt won the game for the Yellowjackets, ripping a triple into the right-field corner.

In the opener, the Crusaders were the "comeback kids" as Kyle Redford's solo homer in the top of the fourth tied it 2-2, and a McCluskey sacrifice fly followed by a two-run home run by Casey Cornwell tied it 5-5 in the top of the sixth inning.

Knotted at 5-5 headed to the bottom of the eighth, the Yellowjackets once again scored the dramatic win as Zach Robinson's one-out, two-run single up the middle snapped the tie.

MSU Billings then held on as Jalen Garcia made a leaping catch at the wall on a blast by the Crusaders' King, with a runner on base, to end the game in the top of the ninth.

McCluskey led NNU going 4-for-6 in the doubleheader, while Pollock and Sheehan each had three hits in the nightcap for the Crusaders, who battle the Yellowjackets in another twinbill on Saturday at 1 p.m.