LA MIRADA, Calif. – Northwest Nazarene baseball swept Saturday's doubleheader against Biola by scores of 10-3 and 1-0 to start their season off strong. This places them at 2-0 overall.
Game One
NNU began their season strong with a win in their first game. This victory was fueled by timely hitting and solid pitching throughout the game.
The Nighthawks took control in the second inning when Liam Herrera drove in two runs with a clutch single, giving NNU an early 2-0 lead.
Jason Bell extended the advantage in the fourth, launching a two-run homer to left center.
Gavin Brubaker delivered the decisive home run in the fifth, bringing in three runs, pushing the lead to 8-1.
Biola managed to scratch across a few runs, including an RBI single by Ruiz in the third and a run-scoring ground out by Whitman in the seventh, but NNU's pitching held strong.
Cris Enriquez sealed the deal with a solo home run in the ninth to cap off the Nighthawks' offensive showcase, 10-3.
Kailer Saunders got the win on the mound, going five innings with two runs allowed and three strikeouts.
Jakob Rochelle tossed two innings of relief, and
Adam Brooks finished the game by retiring the final six Biola batters in order.
Game Two
Game two remained scoreless until Nin Burns, II knocked an RBI double to center field in the third, bringing
Drew Deal across the plate for what would be the only run of the game. The Nighthawks had additional scoring chances, including a triple from Walsh in the fifth, but Biola's defense held them in check the rest of the game.
That run was all the Nighthawks needed though, as
NNU's pitching stayed sharp, racking up nine strikeouts and forcing key outs to maintain the lead. A well-executed double play in the third helped shut down Biola's best scoring opportunity. The Eagles had runners on second and third with one out before a fly ball was sent to right field. Burns II took a couple of steps in to catch it and then fired a strike to Deal at home to double up the runner trying to score from third.
Ernesto Lugo-Canchola dealt in his NNU debut, earning the win after going 5.2 innings and striking out six while allowing just three hits. Wade Duncan was dominant in his first appearance of the year, retiring four batters in order, including three strikeouts, for his first save of the season.
Next Up
NNU will stay in La Mirada as they continue their series against Biola with another doubleheader. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. Pacific time on Saturday followed by the second game around 2:00 p.m. PT.
