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

LACEY (Mar. 21) -- The Central Washington University baseball team combined for 26 hits in two games, and sophomore Justin Reed (Federal Way/Decatur HS) scattered five hits over 5 1/3 innings in game two in his first start of the season, as the Wildcats split their Sunday baseball doubleheader with host Saint Martin's University. Central won the series finale, 10-4, after dropping Sunday's opening game, 10-7.

The Wildcats are now 4-16 overall and 2-6 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play. Saint Martin's is 10-13 overall and 5-3 in the conference.

In the opener, Central scored five runs in the first three innings and led 5-3 entering the bottom of the seventh before Saint Martin's scored seven times against a pair of Wildcat relievers in that inning. The Wildcats had built their lead thanks to a two-run double by sophomore Alex Milden (Yakima/A.C. Davis HS) and RBI single by senior Ricky McKinney (Aberdeen) in the second, and run-scoring hits by senior Kevin Walkenhauer (Yakima/West Valley HS) and freshman Sean Murphy (Bothell/Woodinville HS) in the third.

After the Saints had taken the lead in the seventh, Central chipped away with single tallies in the eighth and ninth innings as senior Anthony Sanelli (Carnation/Issaquah HS) and Murphy had RBI hits in those innings, respectively, but the Wildcats were not able to fully overcome the late five-run deficit.

Freshman Hayden Rovegno (Seattle/Highline HS) had a strong pitching start for the Wildcats, allowing four runs on seven hits over six-plus innings, but left with a no-decision. He struck out four and walked two.

Central totaled 15 hits in the game, led by three-hit outings from Walkenhauer, Murphy, and Sanelli. Walkenhauer also scored three of the Wildcats' seven runs.

Travis Jones drove in four runs for Saint Martin's, while Aaron Johnson, who had a seven-RBI game in Saturday's series opener, added three runs batted in for the Saints.

In the series finale, eight runs in the final two innings helped the Wildcats break a 2-2 tie and take a decisive 10-4 victory.

Reed, who made just his second career start, overcame wildness and was the benefactor of a five-run sixth inning by the Wildcats to earn his first win of the season. In his 5 1/3 innings of work, he walked seven and did not strike out a batter, but surrendered just five hits and left with a 7-3 lead.

The Wildcats' big inning in the sixth was keyed by a pair of two-run hits -- a double by junior Keola Rubin (Spanaway/Bethel HS) and a single by Milden -- as they built their lead. Senior Evan Churlin (Monroe) also had a RBI double in the inning. Central's three-run seventh was started by Murphy's first career home run, while Sanelli and senior Jake Hammons (Snohomish) also had run-scoring singles in the frame.

Central outhit Saint Martin's for the second consecutive game, finishing with 11 hits to the Saints' eight. Hammons, Murphy, and Walkenhauer all had two-hit outings as the latter two had five-hit days overall. Walkenhauer also pitched the final 1 2/3 innings of the series finale to help preserve the victory.

Andrew Elke was the lone Saints player with multiple hits in game two, going 2 for 3.

Central Washington is scheduled to continue its cross-region trek with a four-game series at Montana State University Billings next weekend. The Wildcats and Yellowjackets are slated to play Friday (Mar. 26) and Saturday (Mar. 27) before Central returns home to start an eight-game home stand the first two weekends of April.