NAMPA, Idaho – During the NNU baseball team's annual Fall World Series, they ran out of pitching.

So, one of the team's main catchers, Ben Johnson, who pitched in high school, volunteered to take the mound.

Johnson struck out seven of the nine batters he faced and new head coach Joe Schaefer and pitching coach Matt Hollod looked at each other and said we should probably be using this.

"Schaefer came up to me and said, 'Welcome to the pitching staff, Johnson,'" the redshirt sophomore said. "And ever since then I've been pitching."

As if moving one starting catcher to the mound wasn't enough, the Nighthawks' other catcher, Dylan Cure, approached the coaching staff in the fall and said he wanted to pitch.

"I came into the fall knowing we were a little light in the pitching staff and figured with my background, I might as well give it a try," Cure said. "It's a little bit tough, trying to get into a rhythm on the pitching side of things while still trying to be a catcher at the same time, but I think I've made some good adjustments so far."

Cure was mainly a catcher in high school in Texas, but at his junior college he wasn't getting much playing time so he tried his hand at pitcher. It went pretty well, but when he became the starter as a sophomore he figured his pitching days were behind him.

Johnson, meanwhile, was told his junior season of high school that he needed to choose whether to focus on catching or pitching. He chose catching.

Four years later, both have been significant contributors to the Nighthawks (15-13 overall, 11-9 GNAC) who are in a surprising third place halfway through the conference schedule. NNU plays at Western Oregon on Saturday and Monday in doubleheaders starting at 1 p.m. MDT.

"They have been fantastic," said Cooper Webster, the team's ace. "For them to come in and do as good as they have … the demand they are putting on their bodies is unreal, but they have been real tough about it."

In seven starts this season, Johnson (3-3, 5.06 ERA) has gone at least 5 2/3 innings four times and has allowed three or less runs five times.

Cure (1-2, 6.65 ERA) has only made one start, but he has thrown at least three innings in four appearances and allowed three or less runs four times.

And while the transition from catcher to pitcher is somewhat common in the professional levels, Schaefer has never had it done in his 15 years as a college manager.

"Our first thought was, 'How are we going to have our No. 1 and 2 catchers both pitching?'" Schaefer said. "We've kind of figured it out along the way. I don't know that we have the best recipe yet, but it's apparent that they need to be pitching for us."

Cure has regularly been starting three games each weekend at catcher, while Johnson starts the other one and a game on the mound.

Johnson is second on the team in innings pitched behind Webster and just ahead of the team's other ace, Jesse Hilyard.

"I love helping out the team any way I can," Johnson said. "I love catching and I love the competitiveness that pitching brings out. Making a start is one of the most exciting things you can do."

Cure and Johnson came to NNU to compete for the starting catcher job last season and had a bit of a rivalry right off the bat. In the last two years, though, they've grown close and now count themselves as really good friends and partners on the mound and behind the plate.

"I think I understand his personality a bit more and his tendencies," Johnson said of his battery mate. "We have that same kind of understanding of what we want to do and our strengths, so I think that helps."

And that is true no matter which one is on the mound or behind the plate.