First game: Northwest Nazarene 8, College of Idaho 1. The Nighthawks got all the runs they needed on the bottom of the first inning, with a three-run home run by Kaleb Karpstein. The Coyotes got their only run of the game in the top of the second with an RBI single by Darren Smith. They were held hitless the rest of the way. Starter Kailer Saunders pitched 7 1/3 innings, struck out 11. Josh Bishopp went the rest of the way, retired all five batters he faced. Trevor Tishenkel hit a solo home run in the second inning, went 3-for-4 for the game. Starter Jackson Cummins got the loss for the Coyotes.
Second game: Northwest Nazarene 2, College of Idaho 1. The Nighthawks completed the four-game home-and-home sweep with another excellent pitching performance. This time, it was starter Cole Calnon who went 7 1/3 innings, allowed one run, a home run by Dillon Danner, on two hits, struck out five. He was relieved by Adam Brooks, who struck out the only batter he faced. Wade Duncan pitched the ninth inning. He recorded two outs, then Alex McFarland-Smith hit a double, the Coyotes’ third hit of the game, and the tying run was in scoring position. However, Duncan got a ground out to end it.
Both of the Nighthawks’ runs were scored in the second inning, and they were both unearned. Manny Casillas opened the inning with a double. The next batter, Trevor Tishenkel, drew a walk. Casillas scored on a throwing error, and Tishenkel went to third. He then scored the winning run on a wild pitch. That second inning spoiled good pitching performances by Oliver Massie and Jacob Lewis. They each pitched four innings. Massie allowed three hits, struck out three. Lewis allowed two hits, struck out two. Casey Wayne had two of the Nighthawks’ five hits. Danner had two of the Coyotes’ three hits. recap
The Nighthawks are 7-1-1 so far this season.
John Oleson
First game: Western Oregon 12, Eastern Oregon 8. The Wolves got their first win of the season in a fairly close game. The winning run came in the bottom of the fifth, with a two-RBI double by Zach Valdez, and it was unearned. The Wolves led 9-4 at that point, but the Mountaineers got close again with a grand slam home run by Chase Nett in the top of the sixth. That made the score 9-8 Wolves. The Wolves didn’t pull away until the bottom of the eighth, when John Oleson hit a three-run home run. Irwin Collin went 3-for-4 with a triple and an RBI for the Wolves. Nett finished 2-for-4. Starter Dylan Chalmers got the win, but it was Shane Bailey who kept the Mountaineers scoreless for the final 3 2/3 innings, allowed three hits. Starter Brock Cordes got the loss.
Second game: Western Oregon 7, Eastern Oregon 4. This seven-inning game was scoreless for three innings, and the Mountaineers took an early lead with four runs in the top of the fourth, on a two-RBI single by Rogelio Gonz, and another two-RBI single by Youhyeon Choi. They didn’t score again. The Wolves got on the board with a solo home run by Tyler Mohler in the bottom of the fourth. Curran Mitzel hit a two-RBI double in the bottom of the fifth, then Mohler hit an RBI double for the winning run. The Wolves added insurance runs in the sixth with RBI singles by Justyn Herzog and Mitzel. Devin Bell got the win. Chris Jones, who pitched the seventh inning and struck out two of the four batters he faced, got a save. Shane Sinclair got the loss. John Oleson went 3-for-4 for the Wolves. Choi finished 2-for-4.