NAMPA, Idaho – Northwest Nazarene capped off a dominant four-game series against Central Washington on Friday, erupting for 46 runs across two games to complete the sweep with commanding 25-2 and 21-5 victories at Elmore W. Vail Field.
Game Three: 25-2 (J. Rochelle 1-2)
The Nighthawks continued their offensive surge in game three, scoring early and often in a 25-run outburst backed by 25 hits.
Northwest Nazarene wasted no time jumping ahead, plating four runs in the first inning. Kaleb Karpstein opened the scoring with a sacrifice fly before Kyle Becker delivered an RBI single. A heads-up baserunning play allowed another run to score, and Caleb Boswell capped the inning with an RBI double to make it 4-0.
After Central Washington scratched across an unearned run in the second, NNU answered with three more in the bottom half. Becker drove in two with a double down the right field line, and Parker Sobiesiak added an RBI single to extend the lead to 7-1.
The Nighthawks broke the game open from there. Carter Walsh launched a two-run home run in the third, and a massive six-run fourth inning featured RBI hits from Sobiesiak, Adrian Arechiga, and Boswell, along with a three-run homer from Jake Mestas to push the score to 15-1.
NNU kept its foot on the gas with multiple runs in the fifth and sixth innings before adding five more in the seventh and eighth combined. Cooper Nixon highlighted the late innings with a two-run double and later drove in another run, while Coleman Parry added a two-run homer.
Becker led the offensive charge with three hits and three RBIs, while Sobiesiak went a perfect 4-for-4 with two RBIs. Arechiga and Boswell each added three hits, and Mestas finished with three RBIs including his home run.
On the mound, Jakob Rochelle earned his first win of the season with 4.2 strong innings in relief, striking out five while allowing just one run. The Nighthawk pitching staff combined to hold Central Washington to two runs despite 10 hits as the Nighthawks offense would push runs across in every inning.
Game Four: 21-5 (T. Rutherford 4-0)
Game four followed a similar script, as Northwest Nazarene overcame an early deficit before unleashing another offensive onslaught to secure the series sweep.
Central Washington struck first with three runs in the opening inning and added another in the second to take a 4-3 lead. The Nighthawks quickly responded, tying the game on a solo home run from Tate Lewis in the second inning.
NNU then took control in the third with a five-run inning. Liam Herrera launched a two-run homer, Lewis followed with another two-run blast, and Walsh added a solo shot to give the Nighthawks a 10-4 advantage.
The offensive fireworks continued in the fourth inning, where Northwest Nazarene exploded for eight runs. Sobiesiak started the rally with a three-run homer, Mestas added an RBI single, and Lewis delivered a three-run home run as part of a monster day at the plate. Karpstein capped the inning with a solo shot to make it 18-4.
The Nighthawks added three more runs later in the game, including a three-run homer from Nixon in the sixth, while Central Washington managed just one additional run in the seventh.
Lewis powered the offense with three home runs and six RBIs, while Karpstein recorded three hits and scored four times. Becker reached base four times and drove in a run, while Arechiga contributed two hits and three RBIs.
After a short start from Gavin Brubaker, Tyson Rutherford was dominant out of the bullpen, tossing 3.1 scoreless innings with four strikeouts to earn the win and improve to 4-0 on the season.
Northwest Nazarene finishes the series with an emphatic four-game sweep, showcasing one of the most explosive offensive stretches of the season as they will spend the next week preparing to host the GNAC postseason here in Nampa next week.
