LEWISTON, Idaho (Feb. 10) – The Central Washington University baseball team opened its 2016 season with a loss to Lewis-Clark State College, 6-4.  The Wildcats are 0-1, while Lewis-Clark State improves to 4-0.
 
"We got better as the game went on, we were a little slow coming out," CWU Head Coach Desi Storey said after.  "I think we are better defensively then we were tonight.  Three errors is a lot and that hurt us."
 
The Wildcats' season opener featured a full mix of arms on the mound for Coach Storey.  Central threw eight different arms over nine innings.
 
The Warriors opened the second, plating a pair off of Wildcat starter Mackenzie Gaul in the first inning.  They would later plate three more in the fourth inning, taking a 5-0 lead.
 
Central struck back in the top of the fifth inning, when Jake Levin drove home Randy Fuller.  The Wildcats added another run two batters later on a bases loaded sacrifice fly from Darren Honeysett.
 
Levin finished the game 1-for-3 with one run batted in, one run scored, and a walk.
 
In the top of the eighth inning the first three Wildcats reached, loading the bases.  Levin drew a walk to push a run across, bringing the Wildcats within two.  Dan Whitney then grounded into a 6-4-3 double play, but it brought a run home and cut the deficit to 5-4.
 
The Warriors forced across an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth on a single by DePaul Blunt, making it a 6-4 victory.  Gaul (0-1) was charged with his first loss of the season.  Connor Brogdon (1-0) earned his first victory of the year, while Daulton Blackwell recorded the save.
 
Central finished with seven hits, two of which belonged to Conor Plaisance.  The Wildcats' center fielder singled twice and came around to score once.
 
Tanner Romo went 1-for-1 and scored a run.  Randy Fuller also came around to score.
 
Mitch Yada and Connor Lau each pitched an inning of scoreless relief, while Zach Haggett went an inning and a third of one-hit relief.

"Pitchers did their jobs, threw strikes for the most part," Storey added.  "I was happy with the arms, the guys threw well."
 
Central will play its first four-game series of the season next weekend (Feb. 20-21) at Corban University in Salem, Ore.