SEASIDE, Calif. - The Northwest Nazarene baseball team opened up their NCAA Regional Round with an 8-4 win over Cal State San Marcos this afternoon.
NNU found themselves at Otter Sports Complex for the second time this year but this time against a new opponent. NNU faced San Marcos for the first time in program history and it seemed like the game was set up for a pitcher's dual.
The first two innings came and went with only one base runner until San Marcos' Stephen Espinoza reached on an error and Christopher Tampoya singled. A sac bunt advanced both runners for the first out but
Dillon Eden struck out Leighton Helfrick and got Micahel Weber to fly out, escaping the inning unscathed.
Neither team would see a base runner until the top of the fifth as
Adrian Arechiga legged out an infield single and
Caleb Boswell singled up the middle. With two on and no outs,
Coleman Parry laid down a perfect sac bunt but was able to reach safely as pitcher Jack Clark was unable to field it cleanly.
Jake Mestas now had the bases loaded and no outs. Mestas hit a ground ball to short and initially beat the throw to first to avoid the double-play, but a successful challenge from San Marcos overturned the call. However, the Nighthawks still plated the game's first run.
With a 1-0 lead, Eden sat the Cougars down in order while striking out two. NNU added another in the sixth as
Kaleb Karpstein doubled ot right field and took third on a
Kyle Becker single. Arechiga based on a fielder's choice to score Karpstein from third.
San Marcos opened up the bottom of the sixth with a strike out and ground out but a two-out single gave them life. After reigning CCAA Player of the Year Zech Samayoa walked on four pitches Espinoza grounded to third to retire the side.
More insurance came in the seventh for the Nigthhawks as
Carson Burns led off the inning with a full-count walk but was out as second as
Carter Walsh reached on a fielder's choice.
Carter Walsh then stole his 36th bag of the year and scored on a
Kaleb Karpstein single through the right side.
NNU had a 3-0 lead in the eighth as
Coleman Parry was hit by a pitch and was pinch ran for my
Cooper Nixon.
Jake Mestas stepped up and delivered a base knock on a hit and run to moved Nixon to third with no outs. With runners cornered,
Carson Burns grounded into a double play but was still able to score the run.
San Marcos attempted to keep it close as they led off the inning with a single and a double to put two runners in scoring position. a ground ball to second allowed a run to score and the other runner to take third as NNU took the out at first. A deep fly ball from Espinoza allowed Castaneda to tag at third and score easily on the sac fly to cut the Nighthawk lead in half. After a Tampoya single,
Wade Duncan game in to pitch for Eden and got a first-pitch ground ball to get out of the inning.
NNU scored four runs in the ninth as
Gavin Brubaker walked and then stole second.
Kyle Becker then worked a one-out walk and Brubaker took third on a wild pitch. Arechiga stepped up with runners at the corners and hit a sac fly to right field, scoring Brubaker while
Caleb Boswell hit a two-run homer to center field. An error on a pop fly to the third baseman kept the inning alive and
Jake Mestas add to the lead on a double that missed leaving the yard by a few feet.
NNU now left it to
Wade Duncan to close it out but it wouldn't come easy. A hit by pitch put the leadoff runner on while a one-out single put runners on first and second. A passed ball allowed both runners to move into scoring position and a deep fly ball scored the runner at third on the sac fly. Another fly ball allowed the fourth Courgar run to score but they were unable plate any more after a ground out ended the game.
NNU scored eight runs on eight hits with one error in the win.
Dillon Eden (W, 8-1) pitched 7.2 innings giving up two runs on five hits with four strikeouts.
Wade Duncan earned with 10th save of the year while pitched 1.1 innings with two runs scoring on two hits.
Kaleb Karpstein and
Jake Mestas each had a double while Calweb Boswell hit his second homer of the year. All three of those players each had two hits on the day.
NNU is now 39-16 overall and will play Cal State Monterey Bay tomorrow at 12 p.m. pacific.
