CALDWELL, Idaho – Northwest Nazarene baseball's season-opening set came to a close on Monday, splitting games three and four with College Idaho to take the series 3-1.
 
After taking two on Saturday by scores of 8-6 and 5-1, the Nighthawks were unable to come up with a victory in game three as the Yotes eked out a 5-4 win in 12 innings. NNU bounced back in game four, though, routing C of I by a final of 16-4.
 
Next up for the Nighthawks is a road trip to Colorado next week, where they will face Colorado Mesa twice and New Mexico Highlands twice between Thursday and Saturday.
 
Game Three – C of I 5, NNU 4 (12 inn.)
 
NNU struggled offensively over the first eight innings of the first game of Monday's doubleheader, but starter Ben Johnson and relievers Joseph Ihli, Blake McFadden, and Bailey Daguio were able to keep the game within reach by only allowing two runs.
 
In the top of the ninth, the Nighthawks broke out for three runs to take the lead. Grant Kerry started the rally with a one-out double and was brought home by a Matthew Reynolds single. Colton Moore then stepped up to the plate and provided the fireworks, belting a two-run homer to right to put NNU on top, 3-2.
 
C of I managed to scrape across a run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, though, to send the game to extra innings.
 
After scoreless 10th and 11th frames, the Nighthawks pushed across a run in the 12th as Ryan Dearing tripled to right center and came home on a sacrifice fly from Haden Keller. It wouldn't be enough for the win, however, as the Yotes scored twice in the bottom of the frame to take the 5-4 victory.
 
Ryan Dearing finished with three hits, a run scored, and two steals from the leadoff position. Max Holtzclaw struck out five in three innings of relief, while McFadden tossed three innings of shutout ball with three strikeouts.
 
Game Four – NNU 16, C of I 4
 
The offense definitely did not struggle in the second game of the afternoon, as the Nighthawks exploded for seventeen hits and sixteen runs in a 16-4 rout of the Yotes.
 
NNU put runs on the board in each of the first three innings, with two in the first, two in the second, and three in the third. All three runs in the third frame came on one swing, as Kyle Payne launched a two-out, three-run bomb to left to give the Nighthawks a 7-1 lead.
 
C of I got one back in the bottom of the fifth, but NNU came back with four-spots in both the seventh and eighth innings to blow the game wide open and take a 15-4 advantage. The Nighthawks tacked on one more in the ninth before all was said and done, taking the 12-run victory.
 
Payne finished with five RBI on the day, going 3-5 with a walk and three runs scored. Grandmont and Kerry each had three hits, with Grandmont adding three RBI and three stolen bases. Dearing also registered a multi-hit game with two hits and two runs scored.
 
Eryk Lopez got the win on the mound, tossing two innings with three strikeouts while allowing just an unearned run. Shane Martin started the game and allowed one run through three innings. Tyler Tan, Ty Hueckman, and Nick Irwin closed out the victory from the mound.