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BILLINGS, Mont. (Apr. 27) -- Junior Justen Weigel (Naches/Naches Valley HS) led off both games with a home run, but the Central Washington University baseball team was unable to keep pace with host Montana State University Billings in 15-4 and 8-7 losses on Saturday afternoon at Dehler Park.

CWU lost three of four games in the series and fell to 27-19 overall and 18-10 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play. Montana State Billings wrapped up its regular season with a 21-25-1 record and a 17-14 conference record.

GAME ONE: Montana State Billings 15, CWU 4
Weigel's leadoff home run got CWU on the scoreboard, but back-to-back three-run innings by MSU Billings and a seven-RBI performance from Colby Robison propelled the host Yellowjackets to a 15-4 victory.

After its first-inning lead, the closest CWU came was a 6-3 deficit after 3 1/2 innings. Montana State Billings scored in six of its eight innings at the plate -- including multiple runs in five of those innings -- en route to its second straight double-digit win.

CWU junior Ethan Sterkel (Ellensburg) had a two-run single in the top of the fourth inning to account for the Wildcats' other RBIs in the contest. The game's final run scored in the top of the ninth inning when Sterkel scored on an error.

MSUB totaled 12 hits and took advantage of three CWU errors and six walks by the Wildcat pitching staff. Robison finished the game 4 for 4 with four runs scored and the aforementioned seven RBI, accumulated on a fifth-inning grand slam and a two-run homer in the seventh inning. He also drove in a run on a single in the fourth.

The Wildcats, who finished with eight hits, were led by junior Scott Stone (Corvallis, Ore./Crescent Valley HS) with three hits including a pair of doubles. Sterkel finished 2 for 3 with a double.

Brady Muller (6-3) struck out 10 Wildcats over eight innings of work to earn the pitching victory for the Yellowjackets.

GAME TWO: Montana State Billings 8, CWU 7
CWU took a 6-0 lead after 2 1/2 innings, but the Wildcats allowed three runs each in the fourth and fifth innings of an 8-7 loss.

Senior Kyle Sani (Kennewick/Southridge HS) hit his school-record-tying 17th home run of the season -- a three-run shot -- as part of a five-run top of the third inning. Junior Eddie Malone (Queen Creek, Ariz.) also had a two-run single in the inning as CWU extended its lead to six.

Junior left-hander Skye Adams (Vancouver/Columbia River HS), making his first pitching appearance in nearly a month, was lifted after 3 1/3 innings and a 6-3 lead. However, that lead didn't last as MSUB took a 7-6 lead in the bottom of the fifth. The Wildcats tied the game in the top of the sixth inning on a RBI single by junior Spencer Hannah (Ferndale), but a sacrifice fly by the Yellowjackets' Austin Rue in the bottom of the frame proved to be the difference.

CWU was outhit by a 12-7 count, with Weigel (2 for 4) collecting the only multiple-hit game for the Wildcats. The junior shortstop also had a double among his hits.

Rue went 3 for 3, while Drew Fosnes was 2 for 4 and Justin Harcharik was 2 for 3 for MSUB.

CWU will return home next weekend to take on Western Oregon University with first place and the host role for the GNAC Tournament on the line. The Wildcats currently trail WOU by two games in the standings, with the Wolves playing two games against Saint Martin's University on Sunday. Next weekend's series will be played on Friday and Saturday (May 3-4).