NAMPA, Idaho – The Western Oregon baseball team saw its lead in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference standing sliced to one-game after dropping a doubleheader Friday to host Northwest Nazarene by scores of 5-4 and 14-10. The Wolves now sit at 24-15 on the season and 19-10 in the GNAC, just ahead of the 18-10 mark of the Crusaders.
 
In the opener, the Wolves took an early lead and rallied from a slim deficit late before falling on a two-out, walk off hit in the ninth inning. Both teams left plenty of opportunities on the base paths with the Crusaders stranding 10 and WOU leaving six runner on.
 
Brandon Oliver went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI off a solo home run in the top of the first inning. The homer was Oliver's second of the season. Trevor Podratz had a pair of RBI singles including the equalizer in the top of the eighth inning.
 
Elias Bedolla took the loss in relief. Bedolla pitched 1 2/3 and allowed one run on two hits while striking out one. He is now 1-2 on the season. Starting pitcher Garrett Alvarez scattered four runs on eight hits over seven frames with five strikeouts.
 
In the nightcap, the two teams combined for 14 first-inning runs, but it was the late tallies from the Crusaders that separated them for the four-run win.
 
Western Oregon hit three home runs in the top of the first inning – a three-run shot from Oliver to center field for his second blast of the day, a grand slam from Kyle Vanderkin to right field for his fifth home run of the year, and a solo shot (second of the year) from Jay Leverett – to build an 8-0 lead.
 
The Crusaders would answer with six runs in the bottom half of the first and blast a grand slam of their own in the fourth inning to take the lead.
 
Vanderkin led the Wolves with five runs batted in while he and Nathan Etheridge each had two hits.
 
Brady Miller took his first loss of the season allowing 13 runs (eight earned) on 14 hits over four innings. He struck out three to increase his season total to a team-best 67.
 
The two teams will complete the critical GNAC series tomorrow (Saturday) with a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. MT, 12 noon PT. The games will close out the road portion of the Wolves regular-season schedule.