Box Score (Game 1)
Box Score (Game 2)

ELLENSBURG (Mar. 13) -- The Central Washington University baseball team had the bases loaded with two out in the bottom of the seventh inning of game two, but the Wildcats were unable to score the tying run in an effort to salvage a doubleheader split with visiting Northwest Nazarene University as the Wildcats fell to the Crusaders, 13-5 and 8-6, on Saturday afternoon.

The Wildcats fell to 3-13 overall and 1-3 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play with the losses, while Northwest Nazarene improved to 10-11 overall and evened its GNAC record at 4-4.

Central was outhit 31-20 in the two games, including an 18-11 margin in the opening game that saw Northwest Nazarene post four multiple-run innings against three Wildcat pitchers. CWU opened the game scoring with a three-run second inning, but the offense was quiet until the final two innings when they scored one run each.

Senior Anthony Sanelli (Carnation/Issaquah HS) got Central on the board with a bases-loaded double in the second inning, while senior Jake Hammons (Snohomish) had a RBI single in the eighth and junior Keola Rubin (Spanaway/Bethel HS) drove in the Wildcats' final tally with a fielder's choice in the ninth inning.

Northwest Nazarene was led by the first and last hitter in its lineup, as Sean McDonald (4 for 4, four RBI) and Tyler Nicholson (5 for 5, four runs) combined to go 9 for 9 with five runs scored and six RBI. Each player had a pair of doubles in the contest, and the Crusaders' eighth-place hitter, shortstop Cameron Louie, also scored three runs.

Senior Kevin Walkenhauer (Yakima/West Valley HS) led the Wildcat offense in the opener with a three-hit contest, while seniors Danny Myers (Tumwater) and Kevin Schneider (Spokane/Mead HS) each had two-hit outings.

In game two, the Wildcats were in position to tie or perhaps win the game in the bottom of the seventh inning after scoring three runs in the sixth to make it a two-run deficit.

Central put itself in a hole early, giving up five runs in the top of the first inning including a three-run home run by Jon Keller. The Wildcats got a single run back in the bottom of the frame on a RBI hit from senior Ricky McKinney (Aberdeen), who made his first start of the 2010 season in the nightcap. A two-run single by Sanelli in the second inning closed the early gap to 5-3, but NNU scored twice in the fourth and once in the sixth to take an 8-3 advantage.

Sanelli was one of Central's hitting leaders in the contest, collecting hits in each of his two official at-bats. Hammons and junior Chance Plutt (Dillon, Mont./Beaverhead County HS) also had two-hit outings, while Rubin and senior Evan Churlin (Monroe) each scored a pair of runs for the Wildcats.

Keller finished 4 for 4 with four RBI for Northwest Nazarene, while McDonald added three more hits and three runs scored. J.T. Brodrick earned the pitching victory, striking out six in five innings of work.

Central Washington will continue conference play next weekend with a four-game series at Saint Martin's University in Lacey.