LACEY, Wash. --- The Western Oregon baseball team jumped out to a 5-0 lead and held off Northwest Nazarene for the 5-4 victory to claim their second-consecutive GNAC Championships title Friday at Saints Field.
 
WOU (30-13) has qualified for its third-consecutive NCAA Regional and will find out where, who and when they will play next during the NCAA Baseball Championships Selection Show 8 p.m. Sunday.
 
In Friday's contest, the Wolves jumped out to a 3-0 lead after two thanks to an RBI double from Curran Mitzel in the first inning and a two-run single from Levi Cummings in the second. The lead grew to 5-0 in the top of the sixth on a Derek Maiben two-run single as the Wolves looked in control.
 
But NNU scored two in the sixth, two in the seventh and had the bases loaded in the eighth with two outs when WOU went to its bullpen again to Chris Jones. The right-hander on a 3-2 pitch got a big swinging strikeout to save the 5-4 lead for the Wolves before Bryce Bond pitched a scoreless ninth for his second save of the season and the championships.
 
Arturo Alvarez was stellar in his start, giving up just one hit through the first four innings and giving up two earned runs on four hits with four strikeouts and two walks to pick up the win.
 
At the plate, Mitzel finished 3-for-4 with an RBI, Derek Maiben went 2-for-5 with two RBI and AJ Cortese was 2-for-5 with a run.
 
Cummings was named the GNAC Championships Most Valuable Player after going 4-for-10 with a home run, double, four RBI, three runs and a stolen base.