NAMPA, Idaho – Taking both ends of a Great Northwest Athletic Conference doubleheader for the second straight day, the Northwest Nazarene University baseball team completed a series sweep of Montana State University Billings on Saturday at Elmore Vail Field.
 
The Nighthawks (29-19, 21-11 GNAC) held on to claim Game 1 on Saturday 4-3, before completing a comfortable 5-2 victory in the nightcap. "We played better baseball today than yesterday, we just came up short on the scoreboard," said MSUB head coach Derek Waddoups, after his team fell 9-4 in both ends of Friday's doubleheader.
 
Mitch Winter hit his GNAC-leading 10th home run of the year and James Anderson added his eighth longball, but it was a relatively quiet day for the 'Jackets who scored just five runs on 12 hits in the doubleheader. MSUB slipped to 22-24 overall and is now 13-15 in conference play.
 
Game 1 – Northwest Nazarene 4, MSU Billings 3
 
Alex Salsman hit a go-ahead solo home run to lead off the bottom of the eighth inning, breaking a 3-3 tie with what proved to be the game-winning swing of the bat.
 
Winter's GNAC-leading 10th home run of the year was a three-run blast in the top of the seventh, that switched momentum as it tied the score at 3-3. The Yellowjackets had been held without a run up to that point, stranding four runners over the first six innings of play. "When Winter hit the home run to tie the game, i really thought we were going to pull out the win," said Waddoups. "We had our opportunities, but left too many guys on base."
 
MSUB's best chance to take the lead late came in the top of the eighth, when NNU reliever Max Holtzclaw issued a walk and a hit batter to start the frame. The right-hander got out of trouble however, and struck out four of the final seven hitters he faced to finish the game and earn the win.
 
NNU starter Spencer Schwehr logged seven solid innings, striking out six and walking two while allowing three runs on five hits.
 
MSUB starter Ty Wilson matched his counterpart, allowing three runs on six hits with three strikeouts and three walks in his first-career start in a Yellowjacket uniform. Blake Rainey took the tough loss, allowing just the home run in his 3 1/3 innings while striking out a pair and walking two. "Ty was outstanding in his first start," said Waddoups. "I was really proud of how composed he was and how he competed in the strike zone. Blake really pitched well overall and gave us a chance to win."
 
NNU got on the board early, when Quentin Ayers delivered an RBI-single in the bottom of the second to make the score 2-0. Duke Pahukoa followed with a two-run home run in the fifth to give the Nighthawks breathing room, as his no-doubt shot cleared the fence in left.
 
Game 2 – Northwest Nazarene 5, MSU Billings 2 (7 Innings)
 
The Yellowjackets struck first on Anderson's first-inning home run, but offense was hard to come by for the visitors in the series finale. NNU got even on Pahukoa's second home run of the day – a solo shot in the bottom of the second to tie the game at 1-1.
 
An error to kick off the bottom of the fourth set the stage for the game-changing inning, as NNU went on to score three times in the frame and take the lead for good. Pahukoa had an RBI-double in the inning, and Salsman capped the rally with a two-run single to make the score 4-1.
 
The 'Jackets got a run back in the fifth on a single by Anderson, but Colton Moore led off the bottom of the frame with a solo home run to restore NNU's three-run cushion late. Blake McFadden and Holtzclaw combined to retire the final six hitters, with the latter earning his GNAC-leading 11th save of the year.
 
Nighthawk starter Kyle Ethridge was lifted after an apparent injury just 1 1/3 innings into his day, before Joseph Ihli allowed one unearned run on five hits over three strong innings of relief.
 
Yellowjacket starter Connor Redmond was effective through 5 2/3 frames, allowing five runs – four earned – on six hits with eight strikeouts and three walks. "Redmond was solid for us today," said Waddoups, on the near-complete game effort from the senior. "We had a few unfortunate miscues in the middle innings."
 
THE BUZZ: Anderson was picked as the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Day.
 
COMING UP: The Yellowjackets close the 2022 regular season with a four-game series against Central Washington University next weekend at Dehler Park. Doubleheaders are scheduled for May 5 at 1 p.m. and May 6 at noon, with live coverage available online here.