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

ELLENSBURG (Apr. 30) -- Senior Palmer Brown (Sacramento, Calif./Rio Americano HS) threw a complete-game five-hitter, and junior catcher Daniel Kathman (Eatonville) was a combined 5 for 7 at the plate as the Central Washington University baseball team split its doubleheader with visiting Western Oregon University on Saturday afternoon. The Wildcats won the opener, 4-2, before falling 6-2 in the nightcap.

CWU is now 12-28 overall and 5-21 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play, while Western Oregon, ranked second in the NCAA Division II West Region this week, is 28-12 overall and 18-4 in the GNAC.

Brown, whose longest previous outing as a Wildcat lasted six innings, was especially effective against the Wolves on Saturday. He scattered five hits -- the first two of which were doubles to Griffin Boyd -- and struck out three without walking a batter. He threw just 102 pitches in helping Central Washington snap a 15-game series losing streak to Western Oregon.

Offensively, the Wildcats took advantage of shaky WOU defense in the opener, scoring three unearned runs against Wolves ace Michael Ward. Central scored twice in the second inning on a fielder's choice and an error, taking advantage of two Wolves miscues in the frame.

After Western Oregon tied the game in the top of the fourth on a two-run double by Boyd, Central regained the lead in the bottom of the inning, again capitalizing on an infield error. Kathman started a two-out rally with a single, followed by a single by junior Brett Bielec (Port Orchard/North Mason HS), and then senior Nate Wallen (Bremerton/Central Kitsap HS) chopped a ball to the middle of the infield, where an errant throw on a desperation attempt at a fielder's choice allowed Kathman to score and make it a 3-2 score.

The Wildcats tacked on an insurance run in the fifth after junior Brandon Wang (Mill Creek/Henry M. Jackson HS) led off with a double, beat out a fielder's choice attempt on junior Chaz Ocbina's (Tacoma/Wilson HS) ensuing sacrifice bunt, and then came home to score on a safety squeeze bunt by junior Glen Reser (Spokane/Mead HS).

Meanwhile, Brown continued to stymie Western Oregon hitters. The Wolves got just three hits over the final five innings -- two of which came in the eighth inning -- but double play groundouts in the fifth and eighth innings thwarted any WOU comebacks as no runner reached second base after the fourth inning.

Central Washington finished with 10 hits, led by Kathman (2 for 4), Bielec (2 for 2), and junior Brady Kincannon (Federal Way/Decatur HS; 2 for 4) with two apiece. Boyd and Josh Solemsaas each had two hits for Western Oregon.

In game two, a four-run top of the first inning put Central Washington in an early hole, and five defensive errors cost the Wildcats in a 6-2 defeat.

CWU trailed 5-0 after 2 1/2 innings before getting on the scoreboard on a solo home run by Wallen on the first pitch of the bottom of the third. Ocbina added a solo blast of his own in the fifth, which, like Wallen's, was his first of the season, but those are the only runs the Wildcats would score against WOU pitchers Cam Nobles (6-2) and Ian MacDougall. Central did load the bases against MacDougall in the bottom of the seventh with one out, but a fly out and a groundout ended the game.

The Wildcats finished with an 11-7 edge in hits in game two, but four unearned runs against junior pitcher Kyle Long (Edmonds/Edmonds-Woodway HS) overshadowed a six-strikeout performance by the right-hander, whose season record fell to 1-8.

Kathman was a perfect 3 for 3 in the second game, capping a day in which he raised his season batting average from .167 (2 for 12) to his current .368 average (7 for 19). Senior Kelly Gau (Woodinville) went 2 for 4 in the nightcap, while six other Wildcats had one hit each.

The two teams will wrap up their season series on Sunday at noon in what will be the final home doubleheader of the 2011 season for the Wildcats. Nine CWU seniors will be recognized in between games of the twinbill.