GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – Northwest Nazarene baseball earned an impressive series victory on the road over No. 12 Colorado Mesa on Saturday, winning the final game 13-7 to take three out of four from the Mavericks.
The 19
th-ranked Nighthawks move to 10-2-1 on the season. Overall in the four-game set, NNU tallied 38 runs and 44 hits.
NNU struck first in today's game, scoring two in the top of the second inning on a
Drew Deal RBI groundout and an RBI double from
Carter Walsh. CMU scored three runs in their next two innings to take the lead, but
Gavin Brubaker tied the game in the top of the fourth with an RBI single.
Trevor Tishenkel put the Nighthawks back on top in the fifth with a two-run homer and Brubaker added another RBI single to make it 6-3 NNU. However, the Mavericks rallied to tie it again with three runs in the bottom of the inning.
After scoreless sixth and seventh innings,
Kaleb Karpstein broke the deadlock with a bases-clearing, three-run double to left center. In the top of the ninth, another Nighthawks run came in when pinch-runner
Isaiah McLeod crossed the plate on an error. Karpstein followed that up with his second three-run double in as many innings to balloon the NNU lead to 13-6.
CMU got one back in the bottom of the ninth, but it was far too little, too late, as NNU took the 13-7 victory.
Karpstein was impressive with his six RBIs on a 3-5 day at the plate, also registering a walk.
Cole Calnon also had three hits and scored twice, while
Duke Pahukoa,
Manny Casillas, and
Gavin Brubaker had two hits apiece.
Kailer Saunders started on the mound for the Nighthawks, going four innings with five runs allowed on six hits.
Blake Hammond allowed one run on four hits in 2.2 innings of work, while
Wade Duncan tossed the final 2.1 innings with one run allowed and two strikeouts to earn the win.
Next Up
NNU will open GNAC play at home next weekend, hosting Western Oregon for four games over Friday and Saturday, March 1 and 2.
