NAMPA, Idaho (Mar. 26) – The Central Washington University baseball team dropped a pair of games to Northwest Nazarene University in two Great Northwest Athletic Conference contests.  The Wildcats are now 13-10 on the year and 9-5 in GNAC games.  The Crusaders now hold a 16-10 record and a 11-5 conference mark.
 
"The guys played hard all weekend," CWU Head Coach Desi Storey said.  "I need to do a better job, I always say close games are on the coaches and we had a couple of close games today.  That's on me. 
 
All was quiet through the first two innings, but the Crusaders found the scoreboard first.  They pushed one across in the bottom of the third inning.  They would also score four in the fourth, one in the fifth, and three in the sixth, taking a commanding 9-0 advantage.
 
The Wildcats had the bases loaded in the fourth and sixth innings, with one out, but NNU was able to silence the Wildcats with ground ball double plays in each inning.
 
Central threatened again with runners on the corners in the top of the eighth, but again the Crusaders were able to stymie the Wildcats.
 
"We left a few too many guys on today," Storey added.  "We had bases loaded twice and weren't able to get anyone across.  They got timely hitting and we didn't."
 
Central got on the scoreboard in the ninth inning.  James Smith III was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, pushing across Jonathan Dailey and a 9-1 score line.
 
The Wildcats scattered 10 hits.  Tanner Romo recorded three hits, while Benjamin Dunbar added a pair.
 
Kyle Blankenship (2-1) was charged with the loss.  He went five innings and allowed five runs, all earned. 
 
The Crusaders jumped to a 4-0 lead in game two, putting two runs across in the first two innings. 
 
Central jumped back with three runs in the third inning.  Reid Martinez singled home Ryan Atkinson and Jake Levin doubled home Darren Honeysett and Martinez.
 
Atkinson's two-run homerun in the fourth gave Central a 5-4 lead.
 
The Crusaders levelled the score in the fifth inning on a single to left field.  In the sixth inning the Crusaders pulled ahead 6-5 on a double to right center.
 
"What we need to do is look past this and focus on what's next," Storey added.  "We need to find a way to execute in clutch situations."
 
Mackenzie Gaul (1-2) was charged with the loss.
 
Central is back in action on April 2 in a GNAC series against Western Oregon University.