MONMOUTH, Ore. – In its final two home games of the regular season, Western Oregon University's baseball team split an afternoon double header with Northwest Nazarene University dropping the first game, 8-7 in 12 innings, before earning a victory in the finale, 7-6, on a walk-off single by junior Brandon Oliver in Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) play Saturday at the WOU Baseball Field.

Western Oregon (26-23, 21-11 GNAC) was led offensively by junior Adam Bloom, who was a combined 6-for-8 at the plate with one run scored and two RBI, while the senior duo of Matt Taylor and Marcus Hinkle registered five hits each in their final games in Monmouth. Senior Michael Sherwin would belted a pair of home runs in Game #1 in a 2-for-4 effort that included three runs scored and a pair of RBI, while Taylor led the Wolves with four runs batted in.

Freshman Brady Miller would get the start in the opener allowing two earned runs on five hits in 5.1 innings of work to go along with a game-high eight strikeouts before turning the ball over to the bullpen that consisted of juniors Shawn Domke, Houston Samuel, and Darrien Moran. The relief trio would combine to allow six earned runs on six hits with Moran suffering the heart-breaking extra-inning loss. In Game #2, senior Eric Huson pitched the first 3.0 innings allowing three earned runs on four hits before Samuel went the next 2.0 innings where he allowed three runs (two earned) on three hits. Seniors Spencer Trautmann and Christian Morrison would pitch the final two innings, as each reliever went one inning with the pair combining to allow two hits with Morrison picking up the win in relief.

Northwest Nazarene (27-26, 15-17 GNAC) was led at the plate by Tyler Davis and Kyle Thomson with a combined four hits each, while five other Crusaders – Josh Hatfield, Andrew Helmstadter, Tate Glasgow, Tim Jones, and Kaleb DeHaas – collecting two hits each on the afternoon. Thomson led NNU with a combined five RBI, while Hatfield, Davis, and Glasgow each had a home run for Northwest Nazarene.

Blake Mitchell would get the start in Game #1 for NNU, as he allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits before the relief duo of Colton Loomis and Andrew Groves combined to pitch the final 7.0 innings. The bullpen would allow four earned runs on eight hits, as Groves picked up his second win of the year after he pitched the final 4.0 innings and allowed a mere two hits. Game #2 would see Colben McGuire get the start for the Crusaders, as he allowed three earned runs on five hits in 3.0 innings of work before handing the ball to the bullpen that consisted of Noah Starr, Nick Strange, and Tyler Marsh. NNU's trio of relievers would combine to allow four earned runs on eight hits, as Strange suffered the second loss of the year in relief.

GAME #1 — NORTHWEST NAZARENE 8, WESTERN OREGON 7 (12 INNINGS)

Saturday's opener would be a low-scoring game with both teams putting two runs on the board over the first five innings.

Western Oregon would score first in the bottom of the second inning when Sherwin led off with his fourth home run of the season via a solo shot down the left field line before junior Cody Poznanski scored three batters later on a throwing error by NNU, as the Wolves grabbed an early 2-0 lead.

In the top of the fifth inning, Northwest Nazarene would fight back to tie the game at 2-2 on a run-scoring triple by Jones that brought home Jesse Hilyard before Jones cross the plate on a sacrifice fly to center field off the bat of DeHaas.

Western Oregon would add three more runs to its total on four hits in the bottom of the sixth inning, as Hinkle ripped a triple to left field that scored both Sherwin and senior Jacob Whisler before a single up the middle by Taylor brought home Hinkle to put the Wolves in front by three runs (5-2).

In the top of the seventh inning, Northwest Nazarene would bat around as the Crusaders scored five runs on four hits that included a lead off home run by Glasgow before Hatfield belted a two-run home run over the right center field fence to tie the game at 5-5. One batter later after a pair of pitching changes by WOU, Northwest Nazarene would get a two-run double down the right field line by Thomson that put NNU in front by a pair of runs (7-5).

Western Oregon would battle back with single runs in the seventh and eighth innings, as Sherwin belted his second home run of the game and fifth of the season in the bottom of the seventh inning before Taylor ripped a single to center field in the bottom of the eighth inning that scored Hinkle and tied the game at 7-7.

Neither team would score again in regulation, as the bats would go silent until the top of the 12th inning when Northwest Nazarene would get a lead off double by Davis before he moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Helmstadter and came home on a Thomson single up the middle that put the Crusaders in front by a single run (8-7).

Western Oregon would not put up much of a fight in the bottom of the 12th inning, as NNU would get the Wolves in order to earn the win and a spot in the GNAC Championships next week.

Hinkle and Bloom led WOU's offense with three hits each, as Hinkle was a home run shy of the cycle. Taylor and Sherwin would collect two hits each for Western Oregon, while Hinkle, Taylor, and Sherwin led the Wolves with two RBI each.

Northwest Nazarene would get two hits each from Davis and Thomson, as Thomson led the Crusaders with three runs batted in.

GAME #2 — WESTERN OREGON 7, NORTHWEST NAZARENE 6

Saturday's finale would begin with Western Oregon scoring the first two runs on a two-run home run to straight away center field by Taylor in the top of the first inning, as the Wolves grabbed a quick 2-0 lead.

Northwest Nazarene would battle back with three unanswered runs in the second and third innings, as NNU tied the game in the top of the second inning on RBIs by DeHaas and Tucker Campbell before the Crusaders took their first lead in the top of the third inning on a lead off home run by Davis that hit off the scoreboard and put NNU in front by a single run (3-2).

In the bottom of the third inning, Western Oregon answered back with a single run that tied that game at 3-3 when Hinkle led off with a double before coming around to score on a single through the right side by Bloom.

Northwest Nazarene would put three more runs on the board in the top of the fourth inning when Jones came home on a double play after he reached base via a lead off triple. Three batters later, Thomson would step to the plate with the bases loaded and produced a two-run single through the left side that scored both Hatfield and Davis as NNU grabbed a three-run lead (6-3).

In the bottom of the fourth inning, Western Oregon would cut into NNU's lead when Poznanski singled home senior Austin Hamilton as the Wolves pulled within two runs (6-4).

One inning later, WOU would complete the comeback as Western Oregon began the at-bat with a single by Hinkle before he came all the way around to score on Bloom's double down the right field line. Two batters later, Hamilton would bring home Taylor with a sacrifice fly to right field that tied the score at 6-6.

After a scoreless sixth inning and no runs in the top of the seventh inning by Northwest Nazarene, Western Oregon came to the plate in the bottom of the seventh inning and put runners on first and second with no outs after a lead off double to left field by Taylor and a walk by junior Cody Sullivan. After back-to-back fielder's choices, junior Brandon Oliver stepped to the plate and ripped a walk-off single to center field that scored Hamilton from second and secured the No. 2 seed for the Wolves in next week's GNAC Championships.

Bloom, Taylor, and Oliver each had three hits for Western Oregon, while Bloom and Taylor drove in a pair of RBI for the Wolves.

Northwest Nazarene would get two hits each off the bats of Davis and Thomson, while Thomson drove in two of NNU's six runs in the finale.

Both teams will move onto next week's GNAC Championships, as they will meet in the opening game on Thursday, May 7, beginning at 1 PM (MT) at Dehler Park in Billings, Montana.