Box Score

SEASIDE, Calif. (Feb. 12) -- Senior Brandon Wang (Mill Creek/Jackson HS) belted his second home run of the 2012 season, but the Central Washington University baseball team was unable to overcome an early 7-0 deficit in falling to California State University, Monterey Bay, 9-3 on Sunday at the Otter Sports Complex.

The Wildcats finished their six-game California road trip with a 1-5 record, dropping three of four games to CSUMB, which upped its season record to 6-3.

Starting pitcher Ryan Hastings (Lynden) got roughed up in the first inning, surrendering four runs on four hits as the first six CSUMB batters reached base safely. The Otters touched up the left-hander again in the fourth inning, scoring three more runs on four hits to take a commanding 7-0 lead.

CWU scored its first run of the game in the sixth inning as senior Brett Bielec (Port Orchard/North Mason HS) singled to right field, advanced to second on a wild pitch, and eventually scored from third base on a RBI single by senior David Leid (Carson City, Nev./Carson HS). Central followed by scoring two more runs in the seventh inning on Wang's homer and on a run-scoring single by Bielec that plated senior Glen Reser (Spokane/Mead HS), who was hit by a pitch in his pinch-hit at bat earlier in the inning. The Otters capped the scoring with two runs of their own in the bottom of the seventh.

Bielec, Leid, and senior Derrick Webb (Ephrata) each had two hits in the game, which accounted for six of the Wildcats' nine safeties in the contest. CSUMB had 11 hits in the game, with four batters getting two hits apiece, including David Garcia, who was 2 for 4 with two RBI.

Hastings suffered the loss in his 2012 season debut, and usual starter Brandon Rohde (Gig Harbor) pitched the final 1 2/3 innings in relief, holding the Otters hitless with three strikeouts.

The Wildcats will next compete in the Inland Cellular Tournament in Lewiston, Idaho, next weekend. Their first match up is Friday (Feb. 17) versus Saint Martin's University at 10 a.m., followed by two games on Saturday (Feb. 18) against Western Oregon University and tournament host Lewis-Clark State College.