PORTLAND, Ore. – Ben Johnson threw seven shutout innings, Bennett Tabaracci had four hits on the day and the Northwest Nazarene baseball team opened Great Northwest Athletic Conference play with a doubleheader sweep.

The Nighthawks (6-4 overall, 2-0 GNAC) defeated Concordia 8-3 and 3-0 on Friday, giving them five wins in their last six games.

Johnson struck out the final batter of the game to earn his seven-inning shutout. He scattered seven hits, walked none and struck out eight. It was the first win for the former catcher.

"I thought he did an excellent job of just forcing them to have to hit their way to score runs," NNU coach Joe Schaefer said. "He had some key strikeouts, but that is not usually how he operates. He pounds the zone and keeps guys off balance. I think he is getting better, though he is still kind of new to this whole pitching thing."

NNU scored three unearned runs as Johnson outdueled Jeffrey Lusink, who struck out 10 and gave up just three hits in seven innings.

Dylan Cure and Ryan Berry each drove in a run during the three-run third that was aided by two Concordia (2-9, 0-2) errors.

Tabaracci led off with a single and stole second. After a strikeout, Shawn Grandmont also struck out but reached on a throwing error by the catcher allowing Tabaracci to score.

Rocco Ferrari was hit by a pitch and Jesse Hilyard reached on an error to load the bases. Dylan Cure walked to score a run and after a strikeout, Ryan Berry reached on a fielder's choice to score the final run.

"That's what I'm trying to preach from an offensive philosophy standpoint," Schaefer said of the one-hit rally. "It's great when you can have 10 or 15 hits in a game, but you have to find ways to score some runs against good arms or when things aren't going your way. These guys are starting to buy in."

Tabaracci was 2-for-3 with a run scored, while Cure had the other hit.

In the opener, Nick Irwin earned his second win of the season, pitching two perfect innings of relief with three strikeouts. Blake McFadden worked in and out of trouble, lasting four innings as the starter.

Hilyard was 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs, while Tabaracci was 2-for-4 with a double and three runs scored. Grandmont drove in two runs, Ferrari was 3-for-4 with an RBI and Larsson Chapman added an RBI double.

"Blake kept it close, which was nice," Schaefer said. "He grinded out his innings and that helped us a lot. If we had to go to the pen earlier than that, we would have been in trouble.
"Shawn Grandmont played unbelievable defense today at third base. He bailed Bailey (Daguio) out a couple of times (in the sixth)."

The two teams play another doubleheader starting at 12 p.m. PST on Saturday.

NNU opens its home slate next Friday and Saturday against Montana State Billings.