Game 1 box | Game 2 box

HAYWARD, Calif. - The Pioneer baseball team suffered two late inning defeats to Northwest Nazarene 7-5 and 3-2 in a doubleheader played at Pioneer Field.

With the two defeats, the Pioneers are 4-3 for the season. Northwest Nazarene remains undefeated at 6-0.

Trailing 2-0 early in the second game, the Pioneers tied the contest with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning. Brett Hall opened the inning with a double and scored on another double by Andrew Woolfe. Kyle Zozaya hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Woolfe with the second run of the inning.

Pioneer starting pitcher Charlie Sharrer settled down following the first inning as he retired the next nine Crusader hitters in order and recorded three strikeouts. To go with his three strikeouts, Sharrer allowed two runs on four hits in five innings of work.

Northwest Nazarene scored the go-ahead run in the sixth inning on a Fernando Robles sacrifice fly.

Crusader pitcher Sean McDonald went the distance to improve to 2-0 for the season.
                                                                                                                                                                                                       
In the first game, the Pioneers scored two runs off Crusader ace Zeb Sneed in the first inning. Hall opened the inning with a walk, and advanced to third on a wild pickoff attempt. He scored on Bryson Nakamura's groundout. Woolfe followed with his third home run of the season.

Northwest Nazarene sent 10 batters to plate in a four-run third inning highlighted by a Fernando Robles home run and a two-run single off the bat of Logan Parker.

The Pioneers rallied with two runs in the bottom of the third as Jordan Wilder's groundout scored Woolfe and Zozaya.

Woolfe drove in Hall with his third hit of the game to put the Pioneers ahead 5-4 in the bottom of the fourth.

The Crusaders tied the game with a run in the sixth inning.

Northwest Nazarene scored twice in the ninth inning to take the first game. Jon Matos double home Kaleb DeHass with the first run. Derek Bettinson accounted for the Crusaders' second run with an RBI single.

Woolfe was 3-for-4 at the plate with a home run while Hall scored twice. Pioneer reliever Michael Chaves allowed one run on three hits in four innings of work.

Northwest Nazarene reliever Aaron Vaughn hurled six innings and retired 12 straight Pioneer hitters to pick up the victory. Vaughn allowed one run on three hits with four strikeouts.

The two teams will conclude their four-game series with a doubleheader on February 18 at Pioneer Field.