BILLINGS, Mont. – Northwest Nazarene baseball split Saturday's doubleheader at Montana State Billings, falling 11-6 and winning 12-5, to also split the series with the Yellowjackets at two wins apiece.
Game One
The Nighthawks got on the board first in game one, as
Parker Price led the top of the first inning off with a solo home run on the second pitch of the game. NNU's lead would extend to 4-1 in the fourth, as
Kyle Payne had an RBI single and Price came through again with a two-RBI single.
The Yellowjackets would take advantage of an NNU miscue in the bottom of the fourth, though, scoring five runs with only one of them earned, to take a 6-4 advantage. The MSUB lead then grew to 9-4 after six innings.
NNU cut into the deficit in the seventh as
Ryan Dearing brought home a run with a double and again in the ninth on an RBI single from
Rumble Reyes, but the Yellowjackets eventually took the 11-6 victory.
Spencer Schwehr started for NNU and went four innings, allowing six runs but only one earned run while striking out two.
Joseph Ihli threw three innings of relief, while
Nick Irwin tossed a scoreless eighth.
Price was 3-5 in the game with a homer and three RBIs, while Dearing also had three hits and drew a walk.
Game Two
NNU jumped out to a 4-0 lead after their first two innings at the plate, with
Grant Kerry recording a sacrifice fly in the first before
Tyler Best,
Kyle Payne, and
Parker Price each drove in a run in the second.
MSUB cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the second, but NNU came back with four in the third to take an 8-2 lead.
Walker Moore drove in a run and Payne walked in a run, followed by a two-run single from
Ryan Dearing.
The Nighthawks would add one more in the fifth and three in the sixth as they cruised to the 12-5 victory.
Haden Keller started for NNU, going 3.2 innings while allowing three runs and striking out five.
Blake McFadden got the win, tossing the next 2.1 innings with five strikeouts.
Max Holtzclaw capped the game by striking out the side in the bottom of the seventh.
Keller, Reyes, and Best each had two hits, while
Walker Moore led the team with three RBIs.
Next Up
The Nighthawks will have next week off before returning home to start the second round of the GNAC slate, hosting Central Washington on April 8 and 9.
