Baseball | 3/14/2014 5:56:00 PM

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

MONMOUTH, Ore. – The Western Oregon University baseball team split a pair of thrilling Great Northwest Athletic Conference contests with Northwest Nazarene University, 3-2 and 3-1, Friday.

The Wolves (13-10, 7-3 Great Northwest Athletic Conference) and NNU are currently the top two teams in the conference standings, and proved why in front of large pleased crowd. On a sun-filled day, the teams played closely throughout the two games. WOU's Daniel McNabb finished 3-for-7 with two RBI. Chase Tokunaga picked up his first win of the season on the mound, while Spenser Watkins and Matt Minnich combined for 16 strikeouts.

In Game 1, the Crusaders scored two runs in the top of the first inning and then held Western Oregon scoreless until the eighth. Colben McGuire allowed only three WOU hits through the first seven innings. In the bottom of the eighth, McNabb singled to right center and drove in Parker Miles. Marcus Madden then brought in McNabb with a single. McNabb scored Miles again in the bottom of the ninth with a walk-off single to right field.

After giving up three hits through the first three innings, Watkins settled and fanned nine Crusaders. He allowed two earned runs in seven innings of work. The senior finished with one walk. Four more Wolves pitched in the final two innings, but it was Tokunaga (1-1) that retired three straight batters in the top of ninth after coming into the game with bases loaded and no outs.

Tyler Marsh (2-2) was credited with the loss after allowing one earned run in the final 1.1 innings. McGuire struck out eight Wolves in 7.1 innings. Neither side committed an error. WOU had seven of the game's 13 hits. The Wolves left 12 runners on base to NNU's nine.

The second game set up as another pitcher's duel as the game remained scoreless until the fifth inning. Aaron Vaughn and Minnich traded stellar innings on the mound, until the Crusaders crossed the plate first in the top of the fifth. Western Oregon countered in the sixth when Will Chavarria hit a sacrifice fly to left field that brought in Garret Harpole. In the top of the seventh, Anthony Flatt drove a 1-2 pitch over the left field fence that served as the game-winning two runs.

Vaughn (5-1) tossed a complete-game, striking out five Wolves and had two walks. He allowed one earned run on seven hits. Minnich (3-3) gave up three earned runs on three hits. He threw seven strikeouts and one walk. The Wolves left eight runners on base, while NNU didn't strand any. The Crusaders had the lone error in the game.

The teams return to the field Saturday at noon for another doubleheader. Live audio and stats will be available on WOUWolves.com.

Western Oregon 3, Northwest Nazarene 2 (03/14/14 at Monmouth, OR) (Game 1)
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Northwest Nazarene.. 200 000 000  -  2  6  0      (9-13, 5-4)
Western Oregon...... 000 000 021  -  3  7  0      (13-9, 7-2)
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Pitchers: Northwest Nazarene - McGuire; Marsh(8) and . Western Oregon - Watkins,Spenser;
Pratt,Jesse(8); Storedahl,Jacob(8); Kayser,Zach(9); Tokunaga,Chase(9) and .
Win-Tokunaga,Chase(1-1)  Loss-Marsh(2-2)  T-2:30  A-131

Northwest Nazarene 3, Western Oregon 1 (03/14/14 at Monmouth, OR) (Game 2)
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Northwest Nazarene.. 000 010 2 -  3  3  1      (10-13, 6-4)
Western Oregon...... 000 001 0 -  1  7  0      (13-10, 7-3)
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Pitchers: Northwest Nazarene - Vaughn and . Western Oregon - Minnich,Matt; Hetrick,Taylor(7)
and .
Win-Vaughn(5-1)  Loss-Minnich,Matt(3-3)  T-1:43  A-0
HR NNU - Flatt.