ELLENSBURG, Wash. – Northwest Nazarene baseball dropped both games on Saturday to Central Washington. The Wildcats took game one 5-2, and game two 10-6.
The Nighthawks are now 20-26 overall and 14-14 in GNAC play.
Game 1
Despite out hitting the Wildcats 10-9, NNU was not able to put many runs on the board. The Nighthawks first run of the game came in the first inning. After
Mason Leavitt reached first base on an error to lead off the game, he later came in to score on a single up the middle by
Shane Jamison.
Central Washington took their first lead of the game in the bottom of the second inning with two runs on three hits.
Kyle Payne led off the top of the fifth inning with a double for the Nighthawks. Payne was moved over with a sac bunt from Leavitt and brought in to score on a sac fly from
Adam Paganelli, tying the game at 2-2.
The Nighthawks gave the game up with three unearned runs for the Wildcats in the bottom of the seventh inning. The score would remain 5-2 until the final.
Game 2
The Wildcats jumped out to an early 4-0 lead, scoring three runs in the first inning and one run in the second. The Nighthawks were able to manufacture their first run in the top of the fourth inning.
Adam Paganelli singled to left field to reach base. Paganelli then stole second base and took third on a passed ball.
Duke Pahukoa brought Paganelli in to score on an RBI base hit.
Beginning the top of the sixth inning, the Nighthawks faced a 6-1 deficit. NNU strung some hits together to put up four runs in the inning. The first run came on an RBI double from Paganelli, then Pahukoa brought in two more with a double of his own.
Kyle Payne had an RBI single that scored Pahukoa and brought the score to 6-5.
After the Wildcats put up four runs in response to the Nighthawks top half of the sixth inning, NNU faced a 10-5 deficit in the top of the 7
th inning.
Shane Jamison singled in the inning for his third hit of the game, and Pahukoa scored him for the final run of the game.
On Deck
The Nighthawks return to Nampa to face off against Saint Martin's in their final home series of the year on Friday and Saturday.
