BILLINGS, Mont. – For the fourth-straight conference series, Northwest Nazarene baseball split the Friday doubleheader as the Nighthawks fell to Montana State Billings 10-5 in the opener before bouncing back for a 3-2 win over the Yellowjackets in the nightcap.
Game One
The Nighthawks were stymied by MSUB's ace Dylan Barkley, who allowed just one run over six innings of work. The lone run off Barkley came in the fifth on a
Quentin Ayers fielder's choice that scored
Cameron Bogard from third.
MSUB put up single runs in the second, third, and fourth innings before tacking up three in the fifth to go up 6-1. The lead would extend to 10-1 in the eighth inning.
NNU put together a rally in the top of the ninth, scoring four runs on an RBI double from
Tyler Best, a two-RBI double from
Grant Kerry, and
Parker Price scoring on a wild pitch. The burst ended there, though, as MSUB took the 10-5 victory.
Kyle Ethridge started for NNU and received the loss despite allowing just two earned runs.
Nick Irwin and
Colton Makinster each had scoreless appearances in relief. Kerry and Price both had two hits to lead the offense.
Game Two
Brock Moffitt was the story of game two, taking a perfect game into the seventh inning. Over the first six frames, he struck out eight while not allowing a single baserunner.
NNU got their three runs on a pair of home runs, with
Haden Keller notching a solo shot in the fourth and
Duke Pahukoa adding a two-run bomb in the top of the seventh.
That Pahukoa homer would prove to be crucial, as Moffitt ran into some trouble in the bottom of the seventh, giving up a leadoff double followed by an RBI triple.
Max Holtzclaw came in to try to put the game away, and did just that as he struck out the side without allowing the tying run to cross the plate for his Division II leading ninth save of the year.
NNU had just five hits from their side of the plate, with five different Nighthawks recording one apiece.
Next Up
The Nighthawks and Yellowjackets will play two more tomorrow, with first pitch of game one set for noon at Dehler Park.
