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ELLENSBURG (Apr. 13) -- Senior Marc Garza (Othello) had a three-hit game to lead a 13-hit attack for Central Washington University in game one, and junior Joel Johnson (Olympia) capped a late-inning comeback for the Wildcats in game two as CWU swept Oregon Institute of Technology, 6-1 and 9-8, in non-conference baseball action on Saturday afternoon at the CWU Baseball Field.

The Wildcats improved to 12-3 at home on the season and 22-14 overall with the non-league victories. Oregon Tech, which competes in the NAIA West Group, fell to 15-29 on the year. The games were the first between the two schools on the diamond since 1984.

GAME ONE: CWU 6, Oregon Tech 1
Garza was one of five CWU players with two or more hits, and junior Joe Arlt (Spokane/Central Valley HS) threw 5 2/3 innings of two-hit ball as the Wildcats won 6-1.

CWU built an early 5-0 lead, scoring three times in the first and twice more in the second. Two of the Wildcats' first four runs came home on sacrifice flies, with junior Scott Stone (Corvallis, Ore./Crescent Valley HS) providing one of those in the first and Garza doing so in the second inning. Sophomore Kasey Bielec (Port Orchard/North Mason HS) and senior Kyle Sani (Kennewick/Southridge HS) also drove in runs in the early-going with extra-base hits.

Arlt, meanwhile, allowed just a second-inning double and a sixth-inning single while turning in the longest of his three outings this season. He struck out just one while walking three, but improved to 2-0 on the season after surrendering just a single run. Junior reliever Willie Davies (Shoreline/Shorecrest HS) threw the final 3 1/3 innings, scattering four hits and striking out four to earn his first save of the season.

CWU tacked on one final run in the eighth inning when Garza avoided a would-be inning-ending caught stealing with a nifty slide and sophomore Mike Davalos (Apache Junction, Ariz.) stole home on the play.

In addition to Garza's three-hit game, four of his teammates finished with two hits each. Sani, Stone, and juniors Joe Castro (Union City, Calif./James Logan HS) and Justen Weigel (Naches/Naches Valley HS) all helped the Wildcats finish with a 13-6 edge in hits.

Bocchi was the only OIT player with more than one hit in the opener, going 2 for 4.

GAME TWO: CWU 9, Oregon Tech 8
Johnson capped a furious late-game comeback with a RBI double to left-center field in the bottom of the seventh inning as the Wildcats scored seven runs in the final two innings to win 9-8.

The two-base hit by the Wildcats' second baseman was the last of four straight hits in the bottom of the final inning against OIT reliever Raf Belloc (1-1). That rally started with a Garza triple, followed by singles from Sani and junior Spencer Hannah (Ferndale).

CWU fell behind 4-0 after one and trailed 5-0 after 1 1/2 innings. Oregon Tech scored four runs on five hits against Wildcat senior Tyler Roberts (Kennewick/Southridge HS) in the top of the first inning, with a two-run single by Tyson Dahl serving as the big blow as the Owls built their early lead. Marty Shanks had his second hit in as many innings to score OIT's fifth run of the contest.

The Wildcats got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the second on a RBI double by senior Daniel Kathman (Roy/Eatonville HS).

Neither team scored again until the fifth inning, when each team chalked up a single run. Tyler Conklin was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the top of the frame, while Bielec, batting as a pinch-hitter, had a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the inning to make it 6-2. OIT scored once in the top of the sixth to extend its lead, but CWU responded in the last half of the sixth with five runs against reliever PJ Vanemmerik.

The Wildcats' sixth-inning rally began with a one-out single by Davalos, and all five of their runs in the frame scored with two out. A sacrifice fly by Garza scored the first run, while RBI singles followed from Hannah, Weigel, and Kathman -- with the latter two being infield singles. The game-tying run scored on Kathman's hit after an errant throw from shortstop.

Oregon Tech went ahead in the top of the seventh after a one-out triple by Ryan Hayden and an infield error. The Owls tried to extend their lead to two runs on Conklin's single, but Castro threw out Dylan Rogers at the plate as he tried to score from second.

Senior Jason Lotzer (Lynnwood) threw two scoreless innings of relief with three strikeouts to pick up the win and improve to 2-0 on the season.

CWU finished with 15 more hits in the nightcap, as Hannah (3 for 3) and Kathman (3 for 4) led the way. Garza, Sani, and Weigel added two-hit outings.

Oregon Tech was led by two-hit games from Bocchi, Shanks, and Dahl.

The two teams wrap up their four-game series on Sunday beginning at 11 a.m. CWU then returns to Great Northwest Athletic Conference play for the final three weeks of the regular season, first visiting Saint Martin's University next Saturday and Sunday (Apr. 20-21).