NAMPA, Idaho – Heading into a series of the top two teams in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference standing, Western Oregon saw their 1.5-game lead over Northwest Nazarene erased after the host Crusaders took both games of Friday's doubleheader at Vail Field – 13-10 and 4-3.
 
With the losses, Western Oregon dropped to 10-8 on the season, 9-5 in GNAC play.
 
GAME ONE – Northwest Nazarene 13, Western Oregon 10
Friday's doubleheader began with gusty winds that turned into a lot of runs. The Crusaders held off late Western Oregon rally for a three-run victory.
 
Northwest Nazarene scored five runs with two outs in the opening frame to take a 6-0 lead via three hits and one WOU error.
 
Down early, the Wolves answered back with four runs in the top of the second. Jay Leverett and Jake Alexander began the scoring with RBI singles. After the second out of the inning, Jacob Martinez singled up the middle to cash in two more runs and pull WOU within two, 6-4.
 
NNU tacked on four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, including a two-run homer from Billy King, the current GNAC Player of the Week.
 
WOU responded again in the following inning as Garrett Anderson and Martinez got into scoring position with a single and double, respectively, in the fifth. Brock Pradere bounced a ball through the right-side infield scoring both runners. A hard-hit line drive by Joey Crunkilton could have extended the rally, but the liner was caught at first and turned into a double play.
 
Down 12-6 in the eighth, the WOU bases loaded and pinch-hitter Koty Fallon brought home Crunkilton with an infield single to shortstop. Tony Fonzo, another hitting change in the frame, blooped a single down the right field line plating two more and Martinez pushed across the fourth run of the frame with a comeback single up the box for third RBI of the game.
 
WOU trailed by three after the Crusaders got a run in the bottom of the eighth. Connor McCord singled and Spencer Bennion was hit by a pitch to bring the tying run to the plate. A double play off the bat of Justin Wakem ended the game as NNU held on.
 
Craig Grubbe took the loss for Western Oregon allowing 11 runs, five earned, on seven hits and two walks, striking out four. Ten different WOU players had a hit in the opener, led by three from Martinez.
 
GAME TWO – Northwest Nazarene 4, Western Oregon 3
The nightcap saw the hosts play the comeback role, grabbing two runs in the bottom of the sixth to snatch victory away from the Wolves.
 
Down 1-0, Leverett took the first pitch of the second inning over the wall for a solo homer, his second of the season, to tie the game. In the next inning, Pradere led off with a double and McCord walked. Both swiped a bag and LEverett was hit by a pitch to lead the bases. Bennion brought across the go-ahead run for WOU also getting plunked for a 2-1 lead.
 
The long ball played into the next two runs. NNU tied the game in the fourth with a leadoff homer while Leverett went deep for the second time in the game, this time with two outs in the WOU fifth for a 3-2 advantage.
 
Trey Smith took the one-run cushion into the bottom of the sixth, but allowed the tying run to come in on a double. Kade Mechals entered from the pen and struck out his first batter before a RBI single up the middle pushed the Crusaders ahead 4-3.  Smith saw his season record even to 1-1 allowing four runs on five hits while fanning six. Leverett was 2 for 3 with his pair of dingers to lead the offense.
 
UP NEXT: Western Oregon plays for a series spilt with another doubleheader at Northwest Nazarene on Saturday. First pitch is at 1 p.m. MDT (12 p.m. Pacific).