LACEY, Wash. – Concluding the finale of the second game from Saturday, and the doubleheader scheduled for Monday, the Saints dropped all three games against Northwest Nazarene, despite strong pitching performances and offensive outings by Steven Sordahl and Austin Feist.
 
GAME ONE RECAP SATURDAY
 
In the second game of the doubleheader on Saturday, Mickey Walker got an early lead in the first inning, when Sordahl singled up the middle, driving in Colton Peha. Walker allowed the tying the run in the second inning on a double to right center; however, it was the only inch he gave all game. Walker pitched eight innings, allowing the one run on five hits, with only one walk and eight strikeouts. Walker's day was called off due to darkness after the bottom of the eighth.
 
Picking up the game in the top of ninth, Matthew Dunaway (0-1) worked the ninth and tenth, but allowed the eventual game-winning run on a single to center field. The Saints had opportunities to win the game in the bottom of the ninth with runners on second and third and one out. However, NNU (5-13, 3-5) worked out of the jam with a pop up to short and a ground out to third.
 
Northwest Nazarene struck first in the first game of the doubleheader, adding a run in the third inning on a fielder's choice, scoring the runner on third. The Saints (2-14, 1-7) quickly responded, tying the game in the fourth inning when Hunter Holmason's ground out brought home Ryan Colvin.
 
NNU regained the lead in the seventh inning with another fielder's choice; however, the Saints tied the game once again on a single by Peha, scoring Ryne Oshiro. The tied score did not last long as the Nighthawks scored the go-ahead run in the eighth and added three insurance runs in the ninth.
 
Ryan Dorney (0-2) pitched well for SMU, going 7.2 innings, allowing three runs, two earned, on eight hits, while punching out six. Robbie Shineman threw the final 1.1 innings of relief, giving up three runs, two earned.
 
In the finale of the four-game series, the Nighthawks got off to a hot start, scoring six runs in the first inning. Starter Aaron Shoup (0-4) was unable to get out of the first inning, going 0.2 innings, allowing six runs, three earned, on four hits, and three walks.
 
The Saints got on the board in the fourth inning with a sac fly by Oshiro, scoring Feist, before Colvin scored on a wild pitch. The Nighthawks put the game out of reach in the fifth inning, scoring five runs, and opening up an 11-2 lead.
 
Saint Martin's ended the game with six runs, scoring two runs in each of fourth, fifth, and sixth inning; however, the gap proved to be too much for the Saints' offense to come back from. The Nighthawks captured the series win with a 15-6 victory.
 
Tanner Inouye came out of the pen, throwing a lights out 3.1 innings of relief. Inouye did not allow a single hit, gave up three walks, and punched out one hitter, en route to lowering his ERA to a team low of 2.30 in 15.2 innings of work.
 
The Saints remain at home for a four-game series with Montana State Billings, starting Friday, March 16. First pitch of the doubleheader will be at 12:00 p.m. and live stats and video of the games will be available on smusaints.com.