NAMPA, Idaho – Northwest Nazarene baseball took two games to open the series against Montana State Billings on Friday, outslugging the Yellowjackets 18-12 in game one before a
Liam Herrera walk-off RBI single sent the Nighthawks to a 6-5 game two victory.
The Nighthawks improve to 25-10-1 on the season and 15-7 in GNAC play.
Game One
The opener could be described with one word: offense. The two teams combined for 30 runs on 40 hits including 13 doubles.
NNU started things off with three in the bottom of the first on RBI singles from
Trevor Tishenkel,
Duke Pahukoa, and
Casey Wayne. MSUB would rally, though, scoring eight unanswered from the second to fifth innings.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Nighthawks got back on the board with an RBI double from Tishenkel, and RBI singles from Pahukoa and Herrera to cut the deficit to 8-6.
The Yellowjackets extended their lead back to three with a run in the top of the sixth, but NNU responded with a five-spot in the bottom of the inning.
Adam Paganelli had an RBI single, Tishenkel an RBI groundout,
Gavin Brubaker a two-RBI double, and
Kaleb Karpstein a sacrifice fly to put the Nighthawks up 11-9.
MSUB was not done, however, hitting a three-run homer in the top of the seventh to reclaim the lead at 12-11. The Yellowjacket lead was short-lived, though, as NNU kept the scoring rolling with six runs in the bottom of the inning.
Carter Walsh scored on a wild pitch,
Bryan Rojas notched a sacrifice fly, Brubaker drilled a two-RBI single, Karpstein knocked an RBI double, and
Drew Deal capped the inning with an RBI single to make it 17-12.
Rojas added an RBI double in the eighth before all was said and done to bring the lead to 18-12 before the final out.
Josh Brown got the win on the mound for NNU, throwing the last three innings and allowing just one earned run while striking out five.
Kailer Saunders started for the Nighthawks, with
Jonathan Zayas and
Josh Bishopp also pitching in relief.
Tishenkel led the offense with four hits and three RBIs, while Paganelli, Pahukoa, and Brubaker all had three hits. Brubaker also had four RBIs. Seven Nighthawks had multi-hit games, while nine had at least one RBI.
Game Two
In a surprise start after what happened in game one, both teams were held scoreless through the first two frames of the nightcap. NNU broke through for the first run, a
Cole Calnon sacrifice fly in the bottom of the third.
MSUB got on the board with two runs in the top of the fourth, but NNU answered right back with two of their own in the bottom of the inning. Pahukoa drilled an RBI double and
Manny Casillas added an RBI single to put NNU up 3-2.
It was another back-and-forth affair, as the Yellowjackets went back in front on a two-run homer in the top of the fifth. In the bottom of the sixth, Pahukoa notched another RBI with a sacrifice fly to tie the game at six.
After a scoreless seventh, MSUB got extra innings started with a run in the top of the eighth. Paganelli and Pahukoa both walked to lead off the bottom of the inning for NNU, followed by a sacrifice bunt from
Kailer Saunders to put runners on second and third with no outs.
Wayne was intentionally walked to load the bases before Karpstein drew a bases-loaded walk to bring in the tying run. Herrera then came in to pinch it and provided the heroics, sending a line drive down the left-field line to walk it off 6-5.
Casillas and Deal both had two-hit games for NNU.
Bryan Rojas started and went 4 2/3 innings, allowing four runs on six hits.
Josh Bishopp tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings with two strikeouts, while
Wade Duncan earned the win by going the final 1 2/3 frames and also striking out two.
Next Up
NNU and MSUB wrap up the series tomorrow with another doubleheader starting at noon on Vail Field.
