Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 NAMPA, Idaho (Apr. 8) – The Central Washington University baseball team split Friday's two-game set against Northwest Nazarene University winning game one 10-7 and falling 7-0 in game two.
 
The split leaves the Wildcats to 19-14 overall and 12-10 in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference as they battle for second place in the conference against the Crusaders.
 
The Wildcats started game one with three quick runs in the first as they capitalized on two Crusaders' errors and three consecutive hits to begin the game.
 
Junior Cory Welch (Las Vegas, NV, Bishop Gorman) applied the pressure when he singled to left and a misplay by the left fielder allowed junior Kyle Baumgartner (Enumclaw, WA, Enumclaw) score the first run of the game.
 
Senior Ethan Sterkel (Ellensburg, WA, Ellensburg) would single two batters later to drive in run number two and finished game one 4-for-4 with three RBIs.
 
The Crusaders would answer in the sixth inning with a lead homerun off starting pitcher senior Stuart Fewel (Portland, OR, Wilson).
 
Fewel pitched 5.2 innings allowing six earned runs and striking out two for the no-decision.
 
Senior Skye Adams (Vancouver, WA, Columbia River) halted the damage in the sixth, relieving Fewel, and picking up his fourth win in the process.
 
The Wildcats put game one out of reach with back-to-back three run innings in the eighth and ninth innings powered by homeruns from Sterkel and junior Jeff Beckman (Renton, WA, Hazen).
 
Game two starter, junior Brandon Williams (Auburn, WA, Auburn Mountainview), was pulled early due to an injury. He would leave the game having only pitched two innings allowing three earned runs and striking out two.
 
The Wildcats, were held to three hits by Crusaders' starter Aaron Vaughn, as he struck out eight for his eighth win of the season.
 
The series will continue tomorrow with another double-header tomorrow beginning at noon (MDT).