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Final 2013 Season Statistics

MONMOUTH, Ore. (May 10) -- The Central Washington University baseball team entered play on Friday needing just one win to earn the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Baseball Tournament championship, but tournament host Western Oregon University defeated the Wildcats twice, 11-2 and 10-2, to claim the inaugural tournament title at the WOU Baseball Field.

CWU finished its season with a 30-24 record, placing second in the GNAC standings and at the conference's inaugural tournament. Western Oregon improved to 34-20 overall with its 12th consecutive GNAC title.

GAME ONE: Western Oregon 11, CWU 2
The Wolves scored at least two runs in five consecutive innings to take control of the game, and the CWU offense scored just twice -- on a two-run fourth-inning single by sophomore Kasey Bielec (Port Orchard/North Mason HS) -- as the Wildcats fell 11-2.

Bielec's single in the fourth came after back-to-back hits by seniors Marc Garza (Othello) and Kyle Sani (Kennewick/Southridge HS) to open the inning. However, Bielec was left stranded at first base after three consecutive outs, and at the time, the Wildcats' deficit remained at 4-2.

Western Oregon scored two runs each in the second through fifth innings, and then completed the scoring with a three-run sixth. Three of the runs tallied by the Wolves were unearned, as the CWU defense made errors in the second, fourth, and fifth innings, which WOU converted into unearned runs each time.

The only Wildcat threat over the final five innings came in the top of the eighth inning, when Garza reached on a one-out single and advanced to second on a base hit by Sani. However, both were stranded on the basepaths after consecutive fly outs.

CWU had eight hits, all from the top five players in the batting order. Garza and Sani had two each, as did junior Justen Weigel (Naches/Naches Valley HS) from the leadoff spot. Bielec and freshman Kramer Ferrell (Ellensburg) had the other two hits for the Wildcats.

Western Oregon totaled 14 hits against three CWU pitchers, with Daniel McNabb collecting four of those. The Wolves' designated hitter finished a home run shy of hitting for the cycle, while Matt Nylen, who was named tournament MVP, went 3 for 5. Pitcher Gary Steindorf worked eight innings on the mound to pick up the victory.

GAME TWO: Western Oregon 10, CWU 2
Two big innings by Western Oregon, including a three-run first and a five-run fifth, propelled the Wolves to a 10-2 victory and the inaugural GNAC Tournament championship.

CWU fell behind 3-0 in the first after back-to-back doubles started the inning, and a RBI single from Nylen followed. The third run of the frame came on a sacrifice fly by McNabb, but CWU senior Tyler Roberts (Kennewick/Southridge HS) escaped any further damage as the Wildcats turned the sacrifice fly into a double play and then retired the Wolves' Tim Rausch at third base attempting to advance on a wild pitch.

The Wildcats were held without a baserunner for the first three innings before Weigel broke up Zach Nuno's perfect game with a leadoff single in the fourth. After a misplay on a sacrifice bunt by Garza, and a walk to Sani, the bases were loaded but CWU managed just one run, with that coming on an infield single by Ferrell, as the deficit was trimmed to 3-1.

Western Oregon broke the game open in the bottom of the fifth inning, as the first six Wolves hitters in the inning reached safely. Nylen delivered the big blow -- a three-run home run to left field -- to make it 6-1, before WOU tacked on two more runs on an error and a sacrifice fly.

Each team scored in the eighth inning, with CWU getting its run on a sacrifice fly by Sani in his final collegiate at-bat. Junior Joe Castro (Union City, Calif./James Logan HS), who had led off with a single, came in to score on the play, but the Wildcats were again unable to muster a big inning after getting the first two hitters on base safely. WOU scored twice in the bottom of the frame on a two-run double by Blake Miller to cap the scoring.

The Wildcats were outhit, 11-7, in their season finale. Weigel finished with his third two-hit game of the tournament and was the only CWU player with more than one hit in the contest. Western Oregon had three hits from Scott David, while Nylen, McNabb, and Chris Bradshaw added two apiece.