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ELLENSBURG (Apr. 9) -- Senior Marc Garza (Othello) drove in the game-winning run as part of a 3 for 5 performance in the opener, and the Central Washington University baseball team scored six runs in the bottom of the first inning of game two as the Wildcats swept visiting Northwest Nazarene University, 6-4 and 8-5, on Tuesday afternoon at the CWU Baseball Field.

The sweep enabled CWU (20-14, 14-6 Great Northwest Athletic Conference) to move into a first-place tie in the GNAC standings with Western Oregon University, which is also 14-6 in the conference (19-15 overall). Northwest Nazarene fell to 18-19 overall and the Crusaders are 9-11 in the GNAC.

GAME ONE: CWU 6, Northwest Nazarene 4
CWU scored two runs each in the fifth and sixth innings to break a 1-1 tie, and three Wildcat relievers preserved a strong pitching start from junior STUART FEWEL (Portland, Ore./Wilson HS) as the hosts held on for a 6-4 win in the opener.

The Wildcats trailed 1-0 after 1 1/2 innings as Northwest Nazarene scored the game's first run on a RBI double from Sam Cook. They tied the game in the bottom of the third on a two-out single by sophomore second baseman Kasey Bielec (Port Orchard/North Mason HS), who drove home junior shortstop Justen Weigel (Naches/Naches Valley HS) from second base.

CWU took the lead in the fifth on a two-run home run over the scoreboard by Bielec, and then extended the margin with two more in the sixth. Weigel reached on a squeeze bunt play on which everybody was safe, and Garza then plated junior Ethan Sterkel (Ellensburg) two batters later on a RBI single to right field that made it a 5-1 count.

Fewel (4-1) took that lead into the seventh before surrendering a four-pitch walk that resulted in his departure from the contest. That run came around to score, however, and NNU then tacked on two runs in the eighth against ace reliever Willie Davies (Jr., Shoreline/Shorecrest HS), who had allowed just two earned runs in 21 innings of work on the season prior to Tuesday's game. However, with the margin trimmed to one, sophomore Max Dickinson (Hoquiam) and senior Randy Button (Allyn/North Mason HS) combined to shut the Crusaders down over the final two full innings, with Button earning his second save of the season in the process.

CWU scored an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth on a single by Garza.

The Wildcats outhit the Crusaders, 13-11, and neither team was charged with an error in the game. Garza's three-hit outing was joined by two-hit performances from Bielec, Sterkel, junior Scott Stone (Corvallis, Ore./Crescent Valley HS), and freshman Kramer Ferrell (Ellensburg).

Cook was 3 for 4, and two of his Crusader teammates finished with two hits each in the loss.

GAME TWO: CWU 8, Northwest Nazarene 5
Junior Joe Castro (Union City, Calif./James Logan HS) homered on the first pitch of the game, and CWU collected six consecutive hits to start the contest en route to a six-run first inning and an 8-2 victory.

Bielec, Ferrell, and Sterkel all collected consecutive RBI hits -- including a double by Bielec -- and senior Daniel Kathman (Roy/Eatonville HS) delivered a sacrifice fly to extend the score to 5-0. Sterkel then scored on an error to cap the six-run first.

That start was more than enough for the Wildcat pitching staff of sophomore Davis Engel (Ellensburg) and Button. Engel maintained the shutout through his 3 1/3 innings of work, scattering four hits, before turning the game over to Button, who pitched the final 3 2/3 innings and was credited the win to improve to 2-2.

CWU made it an 8-0 score with two runs in the fourth. Senior Justin Peterson (Tacoma/Life Christian Academy) and Weigel had consecutive hits, with Weigel's scoring Peterson after a leadoff double, and after an error and sacrifice bunt put a pair of runners in scoring position, Bielec reached on a fielder's choice to score the Wildcats' final run.

Northwest Nazarene broke up the shutout with two runs (one earned) in the sixth, as Fernando Robles had a RBI double and the second run scored on a passed ball. The Crusaders then scored three runs in the top of the seventh -- of which only one was earned -- on a fielder's choice and a two-out, two-run double by Jon Matos.

CWU had a 10-9 edge in hits and took advantage of four Northwest Nazarene errors. Garza and Peterson were both 2 for 3 in the game for the Wildcats, and Bielec was the lone player with more than one RBI as he drove in two.

Jamie Mitchell went 3 for 4 for the Crusaders.

CWU steps out of conference play for the final time this weekend, hosting Oregon Institute of Technology in a four-game series on Saturday and Sunday (Apr. 13-14).