NAMPA, Idaho – Both games went right down to the wire, with the Western Oregon University baseball team falling in the first game as Northwest Nazarene rallied late for the 5-4 victory. Then in game two, the Wolves nearly returned the favor before falling just short, 6-5, with the Nighthawks taking both games and the series, 3-1, in Great Northwest Athletic Conference action on Saturday.
In the opener, WOU (14-11, 7-5 GNAC) received another strong outing by Mike Peterson as the right-hander was nearly un hittable as he tossed 7.2 innings, allowing just one earned run with seven strikeouts. He limited the Nighthawks to four hits and didn't walk a batter.
The game remained scoreless into the fourth. Jacob Maiben opened the frame with a single and then was forced out on a fielder's choice play at second on a ball hit by brother Derek Maiben. Derek moved to second on a single by John Stark and then scored on a single down the right field line by Jackson Holstad for the 1-0 lead. Following the second out, Holstad stole second and then Zach Valdez came through with an RBI single to short and on the play, the throw across the diamond went for an error to bring in the third run of the inning for the 3-0 lead.
Northwest Nazarene (17-11, 9-3 GNAC) got on the board in the fifth, cashing in a leadoff triple to leave WOU with the 3-1 lead.
The Wolves pushed their lead back out to three in the eighth. Jacob Maiben walked and after moving to second on a wild pitch, advanced to third on a groundout by Derek Maiben. Stark brought in the run with another single, this time through the right side for the 4-1 lead.
Down to their last at-bat, the Nighthawks rallied in the ninth. A walk and single opened the inning before a tying three-run home run by Duke Pahukoa knotted the game at four. NNU kept the momentum going with a pinch-hit double and after a sacrifice bunt moved the runner to third, an RBI single up the middle ended the game with NNU coming back for the 5-4 victory.
WOU held the 9-8 edge in hits and NNU committed the only error. Four Wolves had two hits in Jacob Maiben, Stark, Holstad and Valdez. Three drove in a run in Stark, Holstad and Valdez. On the mound, Chris Hardin followed Peterson, getting the final out in the eighth. Seth Kuykendall pitched the ninth and ended up with the loss (2-2), allowing four earned runs.
Grant Kerry and Pahukoa led the Nighthawks with two hits apiece. Pahukoa drove in three runs. On the mound, Spencer Schwehr started and went the first seven innings, allowing three runs (two earned), adding four strikeouts. Shane Martin picked up the win (2-3) going the final two innings and allowed one earned run with two strikeouts.
In the nightcap, it was another tough pitching battle early on. With neither team able to score through the first two innings, WOU took advantage of an error to score in the third. Curran Mitzel opened the inning reaching on an error by the third baseman and advanced to second. After a groundout moved him to third, he scored on a sacrifice fly to center by Jacob Maiben for the 1-0 lead.
Parker Johnson kept NNU off the board into the fourth. The Nighthawks were able to score three runs on three hits, as a play at home cut down the potential fourth run leaving NNU with the 3-1 lead after four.
WOU answered right back in the fifth. Valdez opened the inning with a double to right. Ryan Witt then reached on a throwing error by the pitcher and moved to second on the play, while Valdez scored. Witt eventually reached third before a strikeout ended the inning with NNU holding the 3-2 lead.
In the home half of the fifth, Kerry delivered a big three-run homer to push the Nighthawks out to the 6-2 lead.
In the sixth, Anthony Zellner got a run back with a solo homer to right. Down to their last at-bat, WOU nearly came all the way back. With one out, Jacob Maiben doubled and then came home on a two-run homer by Derek Maiben to cut the lead down to one at 6-5. Stark followed by being hit by the pitch. Levi Cummings came in to run for Stark and the game ended up finishing on a strikeout, caught stealing second play as NNU held on for the 6-5 win.
NNU held the 7-5 edge in hits and the Nighthawks committed the only two errors. Five Wolves picked up a hit in Jacob Maiben, Derek Maiben, Holstad, Zellner and Valdez. Derek Maiben drove in two runs. On the mound, Johnson ended up with the loss (4-2) allowing three earned runs, along with two strikeouts. Michael Moore worked a third of an inning and allowed two earned runs with a strikeout. Dwayne Angebrandt went the final 1.2 innings, allowing one earned run with three strikeouts.
Colton Moore and Cameron Duke led NNU with two hits apiece. Kerry drove in three runs. On the mound, Haden Keller started and went the first 4.2 innings, allowing two runs (both unearned) to get the win (4-2), along with six strikeouts. Max Holtzclaw recorded his seventh save of the season going the final 2.1 innings and allowing three earned runs and three strikeouts.
WOU will now be home for the next few weeks, starting with a quick turnaround to play Bushnell this Tuesday at 2 p.m. in Monmouth. The Wolves will then be off the rest of the week before returning to GNAC play on Apr. 2-3 hosting Saint Martin's.
