April 30, 2010
Lacey, WA – Northwest Nazarene used an offensive attack in game one and got a solid pitching performance in game two to defeat Saint Martin’s 12-4 and 3-1 in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference doubleheader on Friday at Saints Field.
NNU knocked out 15 hits in game one to defeat the Saints. They scored first with two runs in the third inning before breaking things open in the fifth. With two outs and runners on second and third, Ryan VanBeek doubled to right clearing the bases. Joel Oliver then homered to left to make it a 6-0 ballgame.
Michael McIver sent one over the wall in left center to put the Saints on the board in the bottom of the fifth and Zach Leonard followed with a homer in the sixth, both solo shots.
The Crusaders continued to tack on runs scoring one in the sixth, two in the seventh and three more in the ninth.
SMU added two more runs in the eighth and Travis Jones singled down the left field line.
Starter Thomas DeBoer was tagged with the loss while J.T. Brodrick got the win for NNU. The Crusaders were led by Sean McDonald and Greg Christensen with three hits each.
McIver and Josh Grenier accounted for half of the Saints’ hits with two each.
NNU starter Charles Pollock shut down the Saint Martin’s offense in game two holding the Saints hitless for 5 2/3 innings.
With two outs in the sixth Leonard reached on an error to break up the perfect game and Andrew Elke quickly followed with a base hit to left, eliminating the no-hitter.
In the seventh Pollock walked Cody Brooks and Blaine Evans. Bobby Twedt Jr. sent a double to left scoring Brooks from second for the Saints’ only run of the game.
The Crusaders’ three runs came on six hits as they scored one each in the third, fourth and fifth innings.
McIver threw all seven innings for the Saints and struck out five in his losing effort. Pollock picked up the win going 6 2/3 with two walks and seven strike outs. Kalen Hruza earned the save.
The Saints (18-25, 13-13) and Crusaders (28-19, 20-10) will complete the series with a doubleheader tomorrow starting at noon.