NAMPA, Idaho – For the first time during Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) play, Western Oregon University's baseball team dropped a four-game series after being swept by the Crusaders of Northwest Nazarene University, 3-1 & 10-6, Saturday at Elmore Vail Field.

Western Oregon (14-16, 10-5 GNAC) would get a combined three hits each from senior Matt Taylor and junior Nathan Etheridge, while senior Garret Harpole, senior Marcus Hinkle, and junior Cody Sullivan also registered multiple hits on the afternoon with Harpole belting his team-leading fifth home run of the season to go along with four RBI in Game #2.

In Saturday's opener, junior Garrett Alvarez got the start allowing two earned runs on four hits in 5.0 innings of work before turning the ball over to the relief trio of junior Shawn Domke, junior Tyler Bennett, and senior Christian Morrison. The Wolves' bullpen would combine to allow one earned run on three hits. In the weekend finale, Western Oregon used five pitchers – junior Houston Samuel, junior Michael Bennett, senior Clark McKitrick, Morrison, and junior Gary Steindorf – as the quintet combined to allow 10 runs (eight earned) on nine hits with Morrison suffering his first loss of the season after he allowed three earned runs in the bottom of the sixth inning that broke a 6-6 tie.

Northwest Nazarene (18-16, 7-9 GNAC) was led offensively by Josh Hatfield with a combined 4-for-6 performance that also included three runs scored, while Tyler Davis also registered four hits to go along with two runs scored and three RBI. Andrew Helmstader and Jesse Hilyard also tallied multiple hits on the afternoon with both scoring two runs and adding an RBI.

Game #1 would see NNU's Blake Mitchell go the opening 7.0 innings allowing one earned run on six hits before turning the ball over to the relief duo of Colton Loomis and Justin Pilgrim, as Pilgrim picked up his first save of the season despite allowing a hit in the ninth inning. The second game would see Northwest Nazarene use four pitchers – Ross Clevenger, Andrew Groves, Jake Ferdinand, and Loomis – that combined to allow six earned runs on eight hits, as Loomis picked up his third win of the season in relief.

GAME #1 — NORTHWEST NAZARENE 3, WESTERN OREGON 1

Saturday's opener would begin as a pitcher's dual between Alvarez and Mitchell, as neither team tallied more than two hits in an inning over the opening five frames.

In the top of the sixth inning, Western Oregon broke the scoreless tie on a RBI single through the left side by Sullivan that scored Taylor after he registered a one-out walk two batter earlier as the Wolves took a slim 1-0 lead.

Northwest Nazarene would quickly erase WOU's lead in the bottom of the sixth inning when Davis belted his fifth home run of the season over the left center field wall via a two-run shot that also scored Hatfield, as the Crusaders took a 2-1 lead before adding an insurance run three batters later on a RBI single by Tate Glasgow that pushed NNU's lead to 3-1.

Neither team would threaten to add another run to the scoreboard over the final three innings, as the game ended as a pitcher's dual with both teams combining to allow two hits.

Etheridge would lead Western Oregon with a 2-for-4 performance, while five other Wolves also registered a hit in the loss.

Northwest Nazarene was led by Hatfield with a perfect 3-for-3 performance, while Davis added a 2-for-4 showing with one run and two RBI.

GAME #2 — NORTHWEST NAZARENE 10, WESTERN OREGON 6

In the weekend finale, Northwest Nazarene took a 6-2 lead into the top of the sixth inning when Western Oregon came back to tie the game at 6-all by scoring four runs on four hits that included a game-tying, three-run home run down the left field line by Harpole.

Unfortunately, Northwest Nazarene would score four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning on three hits that included an eventual game-winning single by Davis that scored Tim Jones and Hatfield on a WOU error. Helmstader and Tucker Campbell would add a RBI each to extend the Crusaders' lead to 10-6.

In the top of the seventh inning, Western Oregon threatened to add more runs to the board when the Wolves loaded the bases with two outs only to watch as Loomis invoked a game-ending fly out to centerfield as NNU earned the afternoon sweep over WOU.

Taylor and Harpole led Western Oregon with two hits each, as Harpole scored a run and added a game-high four RBI.

Davis, Helmstader, and Hilyard tallied two hits each for Northwest Nazarene, while Campbell drove in two runs for the Crusaders.

Western Oregon will return to the diamond on Friday, April 3, in the first two games of a four-game series against GNAC Preseason favorite Central Washington University beginning at 1 p.m. in Ellenburg, Washington.