NAMPA, Idaho – Northwest Nazarene baseball opened GNAC play on a high note on Friday, sweeping a doubleheader against Western Oregon by scores of 2-0 and 7-3.
The 10
th-ranked Nighthawks move to 12-2-1 on the season and 2-0 in conference action.
Game One
Kyle Ethridge was masterful on the mound for the Nighthawks in the opener, going 8 2/3 scoreless innings and allowing just four hits and no walks while striking out eight. The left-hander didn't allow a hit until the fifth inning and never let a Wolves runner get past second base.
NNU tallied two runs in the second inning, which proved to be all they would need for the win.
Duke Pahukoa led off the frame with a single and then scored all the way from first on an RBI double from
Trevor Tishenkel.
Manny Casillas then drove home Tishenkel with an RBI groundout.
After Ethridge was taken out with two outs and two on in the top of the ninth,
Wade Duncan entered in relief and promptly struck out the only batter he faced to close out the game and earn his fourth save of the season.
Game Two
Neither team got on the board in the first two innings of the second game, but Western Oregon broke through for three runs in the top of the third. The Nighthawks started their fight back with a run in the bottom of the fourth when Pahukoa crossed the plate on a groundout from Casillas.
The fifth inning proved to be the difference for NNU, as the Nighthawks tallied six runs to flip the game in the home team's favor.
Drew Deal scored on an error and
Carter Walsh scampered home on a wild pitch to tie the game at 3-3 before
Adam Paganelli launched a grand slam to left to put NNU up 7-3.
That score would hold for the rest of the game, as
Blake Hammond entered in relief and gave up just one hit over two innings of work to complete the seven-inning game.
Jonathan Zayas started for NNU and allowed three runs on four hits with three strikeouts through five innings.
Tishenkel and Paganelli both had two hits for the Nighthawks, while Paganelli led the team with his four RBIs.
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.
