NAMPA, Idaho – Northwest Nazarene baseball suffered their first back-to-back losses of the season on Friday, falling in both games of the doubleheader to Western Oregon by scores of 3-2 and 7-1
NNU moves to 17-5 overall and 11-3 in the GNAC, while WOU improves to 12-4 on the year and 11-3 in the conference.
The Nighthawks and Wolves will play two more tomorrow to wrap up the series, with first pitch of game three set for 1:00 p.m.
Game One: WOU 3, NNU 2
Western Oregon came out on top in the pitcher's duel in game one, coming from behind to score three unanswered runs and edge the Nighthawks.
The Nighthawks opened the scoring in the second inning when
Grant Kerry launched a no-doubter over the fence in left-center. NNU would get another run in the frame, as
Kyle Payne brought home
Ben Johnson with an RBI single.
Sasha Jabusch started for NNU and pitched very well, going six innings and allowing two runs (one earned) on just four hits while striking out 10. He would earn the no decision, though, as the Wolves got to NNU's bullpen for the winning run in the seventh.
Kerry finished with two of the Nighthawks' four hits in the game, with both going for extra bases as his second knock drilled the wall in center for a double.
Game Two: WOU 7, NNU 1
The first few innings of game two flew by, with NNU starter
Kyle Ethridge and the WOU duo of Matthew Dunaway and Seth Kuykendall putting up zeroes through the first three innings.
Kerry broke the scoreless tie in the fourth with his second home run of the day to put NNU on top, but that run was all the Nighthawks would manage in the game.
In the later innings, Western Oregon took advantage of some NNU defensive miscues to score seven runs, with just three of those earned after the Nighthawks committed four errors.
Ethridge went six innings and allowed five runs (two earned) while striking out seven.
Nick Irwin tossed the final inning, allowing two runs (one earned).
Kerry had two more hits in the second game to bring his total on the day to a 4-7 effort from the plate.
