ELLENSBURG, Wash. (Feb.13) – The Central Washington baseball team (4-2) was handed their first two losses in a doubleheader sweep on the season's first road trip against Sonoma State (2-1). Despite leading for most of the game the Wildcats lost the opener 6-4 with the Seawolves recording big hits late in the game. Game two saw a dominant pitching performance by SSU that handed the Wildcats a 5-0 loss.
Game 1The Wildcats offense wasted no time grabbing the momentum in the first game of the doubleheader.
Myles Wesener, who was 4-for-11 in the opening weekend, was the first to cross the plate after getting a base hit and then scoring on a
Jonathan Dailey two-out single to left field. In the bottom of the first, starting pitcher for CWU
Zach Johnson (1-0), accomplished a very rare feat in baseball. The first two hitters of the game for SSU got on base, and Johnson picked them both off using a classic deceptive left-handed pickoff move.
The Seawolves answered back and crossed their first run in the bottom of the fourth inning when designated hitter Eric Ehlow scored Rayson Romero on a RBI single to center field. Central Washington regained the lead in the sixth inning after
Darren Honeysett scored Wesener to go up 2-1.
In the bottom of the sisxth, SSU was able to start a rally off Wildcat relief pitcher
Davis Engel (1-1). The Seawolves were able to scratch three runs across the plate to regain the lead with three hits from the middle of their order. Spencer Neve's two-out, two RBI double took back the lead from CWU. Johnson ended the game with the no decision and went five innings with only three hits given up.
Again the Wildcats answered the call, scoring two more to tie the game in the top of the seventh.
Kasey Bielec, who continued to swing a hot bat, went 2-for-4 (3-for-6 on the day) and drove in the game tying RBI on a single to left field.
Sonoma State pulled away scoring a run in each of their final at bats in the seventh and eighth innings. Cleanup hitter, Ehlow drove in his second run on a second single to left field. This was the Wildcats first loss on the season and ended with a final of 6-4.
Game 2The second half of the doubleheader proved to be a true pitcher's duel between CWU ace,
Brandon Williams and SSU starter Bobby Raymos, who didn't give up a hit and recorded nine strikeouts in his four innings of work. Williams, coming off of a no-hitter in the opening weekend, ended up in a sixth place tie in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference history books with 21 1/3 scoreless innings dating back to last year.
It was the 4
th inning when Williams gave up his first hit of the to the opposing starting pitcher, Steven Nagy. Nagy's hit lead to the first run of the game and the end of Williams' scoreless streak. The Seawolves were able to score one more in the inning off of a bases loaded wild pitch.
As the bats continued to struggle for the Wildcats, Sonoma State was able to score three more runs in the bottom of the sixth off of the CWU bullpen putting them up 5-0. Sonoma State's big inning was started by a leadoff double by their designated hitter Cody Morris.
The Wildcats will have a chance to redeem themselves tomorrow when they play another doubleheader versus the Seawolves. First pitch is at 11 AM.
