NAMPA, Idaho – Opening Great Northwest Athletic Conference play with a pair of defeats on Friday evening at Vail Baseball Field, the Montana State University Billings baseball team dropped both ends of a doubleheader against host No. 19 Northwest Nazarene University.
 
The Nighthawks blasted their way to a 22-10 victory in the opener, before scratching out a late run to take the nightcap 4-3. NNU improved to 8-2 on the season with the wins and opened league play at 2-0, while MSUB fell to 0-10 with the losses and is 0-2 in GNAC play. "Offensively and defensively I liked how we played in Game 1, we just need to buckle down as a pitching staff," said MSUB head coach Derek Waddoups. "We played outstanding defense in the first game, and took some good at-bats. I was really proud of how we came back and battled in Game 2."
 
The Yellowjackets hit six home runs in the doubleheader – five of which came in the slugfest to open the day. Will Riley homered in each game, while Tanner Cantwell, Sam Powers, Tanner Parker, and Justin Lutz each cleared the fence. "We are starting to believe and see each other do good things, and the guys are being great teammates," Waddoups said. "We believe we can turn this around and get going in the right direction."
 
Colton Moore went 4-for-9 with five RBIs and Ben Johnson went 3-for-7 with five RBIs to lead the Nighthawks in the doubleheader. Moore, Johnson, and John Gonzalez each hit a home run for NNU in the opening game.
 
Game 1 – No. 19 Northwest Nazarene 22, MSU Billings 10
 
The Nighthawks struck first with a four-run bottom of the first inning, as Moore and Johnson each hit a two-run home run to give the hosts a 4-0 cushion early.
 
The Yellowjackets' first three home runs of the day all came in the third inning, as Powers, Cantwell, and Parker each drilled a two-run shot to push MSUB ahead 6-4. It proved to be MSUB's only lead of the game however, as NNU scored four more in the bottom of the inning highlighted by a two-out, two-run single off the bat of Cameron Duke.
 
Two-run doubles off the bats of Johnson and Moore pushed NNU ahead 13-7 with a five-run fifth inning, and the Nighthawks never looked back after that scoring two more in the sixth, one in the seventh, and six in the eighth.
 
Riley led off the seventh with his first homer of the day, and Lutz hit the team's fifth of Game 1 with a two-run blast in the top of the eighth. The Nighthawks closed out the victory with their big bottom of the eighth inning however, bringing their final line to 22 runs scored on 14 hits.
 
MSUB starter Connor Redmond allowed eight runs on four hits with five strikeouts and five walks in his three innings of work. Four Yellowjacket relievers combined to throw the final five innings of the game.
 
For NNU, starter Kyle Ethridge lasted 3 1/3 innings with seven runs allowed on five hits with three strikeouts and three walks. Ty Hueckman and Blake McFadden combined to allow three runs on six hits with four strikeouts and no walks over the final 5 2/3 innings on the mound.
 
Game 2 – No. 19 Northwest Nazarene 4, MSU Billings 3 (7 Innings)
 
With the score tied at 3-3 and two outs in the bottom of the sixth, Shawn Grandmont delivered an RBI-single to center field that brought home Moore and proved to be the winning hit in the game. NNU reliever Max Holtzclaw retired the Yellowjackets in order in the top of the seventh to seal the victory and doubleheader sweep.
 
Reliever Braelen Pippin picked off Grandmont – the GNAC leader in stolen bases – to remove the tying run from the base paths in the bottom of the fifth inning as the Yellowjackets temporarily maintained their lead. The 'Jackets appeared to get through the frame ahead, but a dropped fly ball with two outs allowed NNU to tie the score at 3-3.
 
Riley promptly gave the Yellowjackets an edge, with his second solo homer of the day to lead off the ballgame. MSUB starter Matthew Houlihan shook off a walk and a single in the bottom of the first, retiring the next three hitters in order with his first two strikeouts to put up a shutdown inning.
 
Duke plated NNU's first run of the game with an RBI-single in the bottom of the second, and a sacrifice fly off the bat of Grant Kerry got the Nighthawks their second run in the bottom of the third. Kerry's sacrifice fly came after a two-run double off the bat of Cantwell, as he gave the 'Jackets the advantage in the top of the third inning.
 
Houlihan exited after four strong innings, allowing two runs on three hits with eight strikeouts and four walks. Pippin went the rest of the way on the mound, giving up two runs on one hit with four strikeouts and three walks in two innings of work. "Houlihan was phenomenal," said Waddoups. "He commanded the bottom and did not miss. Pippin threw really well, and it was unfortunate they pushed one across on him. Both of those guys pitched outstanding."
 
NNU starter Sasha Jabusch allowed three runs on four hits with eight strikeouts and one walk in 5 1/3 solid innings of work.
 
THE BUZZ: Cantwell was named the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Day…Game 1 marked the eighth time in school history MSUB has hit five or more home runs in a single game…the last time the team hit five homers in one game was on Feb. 22, 2020, when it achieved the feat in back-to-back games in a doubleheader…the program record for home runs in a game is six, set on April 7, 2019 against Saint Martin's…MSUB is now 56-51 all-time against NNU and is 29-26 in road games against the Nighthawks.
 
UP NEXT: The series concludes on Saturday with a noon doubleheader at Vail Field. Live video will be available online here and live statistics will be available online here.