NAMPA, Idaho – The second home run of the day by Adam Cox and a solo long ball by Luke Reinschmidt helped the Montana State University Billings baseball team take a 3-1 lead over Northwest Nazarene University, but the Crusaders rallied to score three runs late and capture a 4-3 win in the third game of the 2016 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Baseball Championships Thursday night at Vail Baseball Field.
 
Facing elimination and trailing 3-1 in the seventh inning, the Crusaders received home runs from Ryan Johnson and Tim Jones, and a go-ahead RBI-single by Tucker Campbell in the bottom of the eighth inning.
 
NNU (29-21) advances to Friday's championship game by virtue of holding the No. 1 seed. The Yellowjackets fell to 30-19 with the loss, and can win the GNAC title by defeating both Western Oregon and NNU on Friday.
 
"It was a great, tough game tonight, and it's never easy to lose a tight one like that," said MSUB head coach Rob Bishop. "It was well-pitched on both sides, and at the end of the game it came down to one or two key hits that they got and we didn't."
 
Cox supplied MSUB with a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning, as he cleared the fence in left-center field on the 10th pitch of the at-bat from NNU starter Jaramy Jacobs. It was Cox's ninth home run of the year, and second of the day as he had a two-run shot against WOU in the tournament opener.
 

Reinschmidt's team-leading 10th home run of the season came on a 2-0 pitch in the seventh inning, a solo shot that was also hit to left center. 

The Yellowjackets received a strong start from senior Tanner Johnson, who had five strikeouts and surrendered just two runs on four hits in 6 1/3 innings pitched. Jacobs was equally effective for NNU, striking out two and giving up two runs on three hits through six innings.
 
Catcher Spencer Pollock drove in the Crusaders' first run with a bases-loaded walk in the fourth inning. Johnson limited the damage to a single run however, as he struck out the next three hitters and stranded the bases loaded. NNU threatened again in the fifth inning, but a deep fly ball off the bat of Jones with two on and two out was caught by Myles Berkram with his back against the wall in right field.
 
In the seventh, Kyle Durbin reached second on a dropped third strike and a throwing error, and Cox was intentionally walked for the second time of the day to put two runners on with two outs for Corey Morris. The senior lifted a deep fly ball into left center field, but Jones tracked it down to end the inning.
 
Freshman Jared Winslow took over for Johnson with one out in the seventh, and retired the next two hitters he faced to strand another baserunner. After Campbell's go-ahead hit in the eighth, the Crusaders worked runners to second and third with one out. Winslow gritted out a strikeout on eight pitches to Johnson, and left the bases full by striking out Brett Nielsen.
 
Ryan Nyborg came on to shut the door in the top of the ninth, striking out the first two batters he faced before getting Reinschmidt to fly out and end the game.
 
Cox had two of MSUB's four hits, while eight different Crusaders had hits. Blake Mitchell was effective for NNU, striking out four and giving up just one hit – Reinschmidt's home run – in two innings pitched.
 
"We are just going to have to bounce back and do our best to fight through some adversity," Bishop said on Friday's elimination game.
 
Cox went 5-for-6 with two home runs, five RBIs, and drew two walks to reach base in 7 of 8 times up in his two games Thursday.
 
THE BUZZ: Cox was picked as the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Game…Cox leads the GNAC with 47 RBIs…MSUB is now 3-4 against NNU on the season…the loss snapped MSUB's seven-game winning streak.
 
NEXT UP: Friday's elimination game will start at 1 p.m. Mountain time, with the winner earning a ticket to the championship game against NNU.