NAMPA, Idaho – Northwest Nazarene baseball couldn't quite eke out the doubleheader sweep against Western Oregon in a marathon day at Vail Field, winning game one 5-3 before falling 6-4 in 12 innings of game two on Friday.
Game One
The Nighthawks tallied runs in the first and second innings, with
Grant Kerry notching an RBI single and
Colton Moore bringing home a run with a sacrifice fly. Western Oregon responded with a run in the third, but NNU tallied another in the fourth as Moore recorded an RBI groundout this time.
The Wolves would tie things up at three in the top of the seventh, but
Parker Price broke the tie in a big way in the bottom of the inning with a two-run bomb to left.
Max Holtzclaw would toss the final two innings to earn the save, recording four strikeouts.
Kyle Ethridge started and went 6.1 innings while allowing two runs and striking out eight, while
Blake McFadden earned the win after 0.2 innings of work.
Haden Keller and
Tyler Best each had two hits for the Nighthawks.
Game Two
Neither team scored until the fourth, before WOU tallied two runs in the top of the frame to take the lead. NNU responded with a
Duke Pahukoa home run in the fifth to cut the deficit in half, but the Wolves added another run in the sixth to take a 3-1 lead.
With the second game only slated for seven innings, the Nighthawks were down to their final out in the bottom of the seventh before
Parker Price drilled a two-RBI double down the left field line to tie things up and send the game to extras.
Zeroes were put up on the board in the eighth and ninth innings, but WOU came out in the 10
th to take a 4-3 lead. NNU would not quit, though, getting an RBI sacrifice fly from
Cameron Bogard in the bottom of the frame to keep the game alive.
The Nighthawks had a great chance to win it in the 11
th as they loaded the bases with just one out, but NNU was kept off the board. The Wolves were able to do what NNU couldn't in the next frame, as they scored the winning run in the top of the 12
th.
NNU would make things interesting yet again in the bottom of the inning with two on and one out, but the Wolves held on for the 6-4 win.
Brock Moffitt started for NNU and went 5.1 innings, striking out six and allowing three earned runs.
Joseph Ihli tossed 4.2 innings of relief, striking out nine while allowing just three hits and one run.
Blake McFadden pitched the final two innings, allowing two hits and striking out two.
Eight different Nighthawks had a hit in the game, led by two from Pahukoa. Price and
Ryan Dearing also had three walks apiece.
Next Up
The Nighthawks and Wolves will play two more tomorrow, with first pitch of game one of the doubleheader set for 1:00 p.m. at Vail Field.
