Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

ELLENSBURG (Feb. 14) -- Junior Chance Plutt (Dillon, Mont./Beaverhead County HS) hit a pair of two-run home runs, and freshman Hayden Rovegno (Seattle/Highline HS) overcame five errors with a two-hit complete game as the Central Washington University baseball team finished its season-opening series against the University of Puget Sound with a split. The Wildcats won Sunday's series finale, 9-6 in six innings, after dropping the opener by a 12-11 score.

Central and Puget Sound each finished with two wins in the four-game series, dividing each of the two doubleheaders played on Saturday and Sunday.

In the opening game, Puget Sound made a six-run fourth inning stand up as Central Washington nearly overcame a 12-0 deficit before falling, 12-11.

The visiting Loggers had two multi-run innings -- a four-run second and six-run fourth -- while Central used a seven-run seventh and had the tying run left at third base in the bottom of the ninth inning.

Behind a four-hit, four-RBI game from senior Jake Hammons (Snohomish), Central outhit Puget Sound by an 18-17 count. The Wildcats took advantage of two Logger errors in the ninth to keep the game alive, while Puget Sound capitalized on the lone CWU miscue of the game for five unearned runs against Jordon Wakefield (Curlew) in the fourth.

In the second game, Plutt had home runs in the second and fourth innings, and the Wildcats used a four-run fifth inning to overcome a 6-5 deficit and win by a 9-6 final score. The game was called after 5 1/2 innings due to darkness.

Rovegno, making his college debut, allowed just two hits and all six runs he surrendered were unearned. The Wildcat defense committed five errors behind him, including three by the right-hander himself, which led to the Loggers' early lead.

More details to be posted on Monday ...