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

ELLENSBURG (Apr. 3) -- The Central Washington University baseball team held early leads in both games of Saturday's doubleheader with visiting Western Oregon University, but late inning rallies by the Wolves resulted in a pair of 9-6 losses for the Wildcats at the CWU Baseball Field.

The Wildcats fell to 3-7 in home games and are now 6-20 overall (4-10 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play). Western Oregon, the eight-time defending GNAC champions, maintained their half-game lead in the conference standings by improving to 14-11 overall and 9-3 in the GNAC.

In game one, Central scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to take a 4-3 lead, but two-run innings by Western Oregon in each of the final three innings spoiled the Wildcats' hopes for a series-opening victory.

The Wildcats fell behind in the third inning of the opener, and after a 2-0 deficit, finally got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth on an unearned run. Trailing 3-1 in the fifth, they made it a one-run contest on an error and then took the lead on the fourth home run of the season from junior Keola Rubin (Spanaway/Bethel HS).

Central's lead lasted until the seventh, when Western Oregon tied the score and then regained the lead on a RBI single from Logan Lotti. The Wildcats fought back in the bottom of the inning, chasing WOU starter Michael Ward, and senior Kevin Schneider (Spokane/Mead HS) hit into a fielder's choice to bring home the tying run and make it a 5-5 score. That tie was short-lived, however, as the Wolves scored two in the eighth against starting pitcher Bryce Hjellum (Kennewick/Kamiakin HS), piecing together four consecutive two-out singles.

The Wildcats' final run of game one came home in the bottom of the eighth on a RBI single by senior Anthony Sanelli (Carnation/Issaquah HS).

Hjellum (2-5) threw 150 pitches in eight innings of work, allowing 13 hits and seven runs to the Wolves while striking out six.

Offensively, Central had 11 hits, including at least one from eight of its nine starters, with two-hit outings from Rubin (2 for 4), Sanelli (2 for 4) and senior Ricky McKinney (Aberdeen; 2 for 5). Rubin also scored three of the Wildcats' six runs.

Western Oregon finished with 16 total hits, including three home runs. Daniel Dillard had two of the Wolves' round-trippers, going 3 for 4 in the game, while Jason Moseby was 3 for 6 with a home run. Grant Glover scored three runs for WOU.

In the nightcap, Central started strong offensively against reigning GNAC PItcher of the Year Blake Keitzman, posting a 4-1 lead after two innings, but the Wildcats surrendered a four-run third inning and plated from behind the rest of the way.

CWU rattled the bats for five hits in the first two innings against the former Seattle Mariner draft pick, collecting run-scoring extra-base hits in each frame. However, a two-run single by Bill Clontz in the top of the third inning capped the Wolves' go-ahead rally, and WOU would later add single runs in the fourth and sixth before both teams scored a pair in the final frame of the seven-inning contest.

The Wildcats' final two tallies were unearned. Rubin had a RBI double to score Sanelli with the first run of the seventh, while senior Danny Myers (Tumwater) reached on a fielder's choice to drive home the final run of the contest.

McKinney was 2 for 2 with a triple, walk, and sacrifice fly, scoring twice. Myers had two RBI and Sanelli finished with two runs scored for the Wildcats, who totaled nine hits against Keitzman.

Sophomore Justin Reed (Federal Way/Decatur HS) suffered the loss in just his third start of the season, pitching two-plus innings.

Western Oregon had two-hit games from three different players -- Glover, Dillard, and Cesar Lopez.

The two teams will wrap up their four-game series with another doubleheader on Easter Sunday, beginning at noon.