LACEY, Wash & NAMPA, Idaho. – Northwest Nazarene dominated both at the plate and on the mound to secure a convincing 9-1 win over Saint Martin's in game one on Monday the 24th. The second game of the day was halted after 6 innings and picked up again in Nampa on the 24th of April. After the long pause the Nighthawks pulled away with the 21-3 victory.
Game One
The Nighthawks struck early, capitalizing on 2 errors in the 1st inning to bring home the opening run. A solo home run by Jason Bell in the 2nd inning extended their lead to 2-0. The offense continued to apply pressure in the 3rd, as Gavin Brubaker's leadoff triple led to another run, and Casey Wayne added an RBI single to push the advantage to 4-0.
NNU tacked on another run in the 4th thanks to Nin Burns II RBI single. The offense then erupted in the later innings, scoring twice in the 8th after a defensive miscue and an RBI single from Carter Walsh. The Nighthawks plated 2 more in the 9th, taking advantage of 3 free passes and a hit-by-pitch.
Meanwhile, NNU's pitcher Cole Calnon was dominant, holding the Saints hitless through the first three innings. He pitched all 9 innings of the game recording 10 strikeouts. SMU finally broke through in the 9th, scratching across their lone run with an RBI single, but it wasn't enough to overcome the Nighthawks' commanding 9-1 lead.
Game Two
Northwest Nazarene came out swinging in a high-powered offensive display that spanned two days and two ballparks, defeating Saint Martin's 21-3. The first six innings were played on March 24th at Saint Martin's Field before the game was suspended, with NNU leading 15-2. The final three innings resumed on April 24th in Nampa, where the Nighthawks picked up right where they left off.
NNU wasted no time getting on the board, with Nin Burns II launching a leadoff homer to start the game. The Nighthawks added 3 more runs in the first, taking advantage of a passed ball, an RBI single from Liam Herrera, and a long hit from Drew Deal. They continued to pile it on in the second and third, highlighted by a bases-clearing double from Kaleb Karpstein that extended the lead to 9-0.
Saint Martin's got on the board in the bottom of the third, but NNU answered with 4 more in the fifth, fueled by an RBI single from Gavin Brubaker and a three-hit inning from the heart of the lineup. By the end of the sixth, the score stood at 15-2 before the game was postponed.
When play resumed in Nampa, the Nighthawks didn't skip a beat. In the eighth, Casey Wayne got the Nighthawk's bats going with a three-run homer to left. He followed that up in the ninth with a two-run double, capping off a 6-RBI performance. The Saints scratched across a run in the ninth, but it wasn't enough to overcome NNU's relentless offense. The game ended with the Nighthawks on top, 21-3.
Up Next
The teams will pick up tomorrow, April 25th, to begin their second series of the season. The first pitch of the double header day is set for 3:00 pm.
