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

SPOKANE (Apr. 20) -- Senior Kevin Schneider (Spokane/Mead HS) had four hits in as many at-bats in his final collegiate game in his hometown, helping the Central Washington University baseball team complete a non-conference sweep of host Whitworth University with 7-6 and 5-1 victories at Merkel Field on Tuesday afternoon.

The wins improved Central's record to 10-28 on the season and marked just the second doubleheader sweep of the season for the Wildcats. Whitworth, which competes as a member of the NCAA Division III, fell to 9-25 with the doubleheader defeats.

In game one, senior Jake Hammons (Snohomish) pitched a complete game in his first pitching start of the season, striking out three and helping his own cause by going 2 for 2 with two runs batted in offensively as Central escaped with a 7-6 win.

The Wildcats built a 6-2 lead through 4 1/2 innings of the seven-inning contest, powered by early home runs from senior Kevin Walkenhauer (Yakima/West Valley HS) and junior Kris Henderson (Liberty Lake/Central Valley HS). Henderson's blast, a two-run shot in the second inning, was the first of his Wildcat career. Walkenhauer, meanwhile, finished the game with two hits and three runs scored to help pace the CWU offense.

Central led 7-4 entering the bottom of the seventh, but Whitworth scored two runs on Landon Scott's one-out double and Scott stood at second base with the potential tying run. However, Hammons (1-0) induced consecutive groundouts to preserve the victory.

Hammons surrendered 11 hits in just his second pitching appearance of the 2010 season. Four of the Wildcats' nine hits went for extra bases, with two doubles and two home runs.

In the nightcap, three CWU pitchers combined to limit the Pirates to six hits and the Wildcat bats racked up 11 hits in earning the 5-1 victory.

Two of Schneider's season-high four hits were doubles, doubling his season total for two-base hits. Senior Ricky McKinney (Aberdeen) delivered the game's lone home run -- a two-run shot in the sixth inning to cap the game's scoring.

McKinney went 2 for 4 to join Schneider with multi-hit games for the Wildcats, while five teammates had one hit apiece.

On the mound, left-hander Tyler Warne (Aberdeen) pitched three-plus innings and struck out three in his first start of the year before relievers Palmer Brown (Sacramento, Calif./Rio Americano HS) and Ryan Tarver (Mukilteo/Kamiak HS) combined on four scoreless innings. Brown (1-1) was credited with the victory.

Scott and JR Jarrell combined for four of Whitworth's six hits in game two, totaling two safeties apiece.

Central Washington will now return to Great Northwest Athletic Conference play for its final 12 games of the 2010 season. Eight of the Wildcats' final 12 contests will be played at home in Ellensburg, beginning with this weekend's four-game series against Saint Martin's University on Saturday (Apr. 24) and Sunday (Apr. 25) at 1 p.m. and noon, respectively.