LACEY, Wash. – Northwest Nazarene baseball made it close, but ultimately fell 5-4 to Western Oregon in their final game of the season.
The Nighthawks finished their season 24-29 overall.
Spencer Schwehr started on the bump for the Nighthawks and threw 4.1 innings, allowing three runs on nine hits while picking up four strikeouts.
Kaleb Karpstein got the first hit of the game for the Nighthawks, singling to left field in the first inning. The Nighthawks then went without a hit for four innings before starting the offense back up again.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, NNU scored their first run of the game on a wild pitch. Just after their first run,
Manny Casillas brought
Colby Moran in to score on an RBI single that brought the game to 5-2.
In the bottom of the seventh inning
Kyle Payne scored on a sacrifice fly by
Tyler Best. Later,
Kaden Miller came around to score on an RBI single by
Shane Jamison, bringing the Nighthawks within one run.
Excitement built in the bottom of the eighth with two outs, a full count, and bases loaded for the Nighthawks, but NNU was unable to capitalize to tie up the game. Karpstein reached base for the Nighthawks in the bottom of the ninth but was doubled off after Jamison hit a laser right at the third baseman.
This loss put a wrap on NNU baseball's 2023 season.
