GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. - The bats kept working for Northwest Nazarene baseball on Friday, as the Nighthawks rolled past New Mexico Highlands twice by scores of 18-4 and 11-5.

In the two games, NNU racked up 29 runs and 33 hits while only committing one error defensively. With the wins, the Nighthawks improve to 6-1 to open the season.

NNU will wrap up play at the Courtyard by Marriott Leadoff Weekend tomorrow with another game against No. 2/5 Colorado Mesa at noon. On Thursday, the Nighthawks pounded the Mavericks 18-6.

Game One - NNU 18, NMHU 4

For the second straight game, the Nighthawks put 18 runs on the board as NMHU could not hold the offense in check. NNU scored two runs in the first, two in the second, and one in the third to take a 5-0 lead. NMHU got two runs back in the bottom of the third, but the Nighthawks responded with a six-run sixth to break the game open and go up 11-2. 

NNU would add seven more runs over the final three frames, resulting in runs scored in seven of the nine innings. 

After hitting two home runs in yesterday's win, John Gonzalez continued his power display with two more homers in this game, going 3-6 with five RBI and two runs scored. Kyle Payne tallied four RBI off of two hits, Grant Kerry went 4-5 with three RBI and two runs scored, and Shawn Grandmont finished with two hits, three RBI, and three runs scored.

Haden Keller also added a pair of RBI and three hits, while Alex Salsman went 2-2 and Ryan Dearing added three runs scored and two walks.

On the mound, Ben Johnson got the win after going five string innings, allowing just two runs on three hits while striking out seven. Spencer Schwehr and Nick Irwin finished the game for the Nighthawks.

Game Two - NNU 11, NMHU 5

Game two was much closer for most of the game than the last few Nighthawk wins have been, as after Grandmont tripled home Keller in the first, NMHU took a 2-1 lead in the second and held it until the fifth inning.

Keller then notched a two-run double to put NNU back in front, and came home on Grandmont's single to make ti 4-2 in favor of the Nighthawks. NMHU bounced back to tie it in the bottom of the inning, though, but the fireworks finally got going for the NNU offense in the top of the sixth.

Cody Nisbet started the rally with an RBI single and then came home to score on a Keller double. Grandmont followed with a two-RBI single, and then Gonzalez hit his fifth homer of the weekend to put NNU up 10-4. The Nighthawks would add one more run in the seventh on a Walker Moore RBI double to round out the scoring.

Shane Martin started the game for the Nighthawks, going 4.1 innings and allowing four runs. Blake McFadden was the pitcher of record, getting two outs to end the fifth before NNU dropped six runs in the next inning to go up for good. Max Holtzclaw and Ty Hueckman finished the game on the mound for NNU.

The trio of Grandmont, Gonzalez, and Keller had another fantastic game, combining for seven hits, five runs scored, three walks, and nine RBI.