ELLENSBURG, Wash. (Apr. 2) -- The Central Washington University baseball team dropped both games of its twin bill against Western Oregon University in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference matchup.
 
The Wildcats are now 13-12 overall and 9-7 in GNAC play.  The Wolves are now just a game below .500 at 12-13 and 7-8 in conference.
 
On the offensive side I was good to see that we kept competing and had a couple of good sized innings," CWU Head Coach Desi Storey said afterward.  "But, one through nine we weren't very consistent today. In the first game we just didn't pitch it all that well. We got behind in the count and left some balls up and they all left the yard, and that was the difference today."
 
Western Oregon opened the scoring in the first inning with a three-run blast from Cody Sullivan off of Wildcat starter Travis Cook.  The Wolves added a run in the second inning on a single from Nathan Etheridge.  A solo shot by Etheridge in the third inning gave the Wolves a 5-0 advantage.
 
The Wildcats posted a crooked number in the bottom of the third.  A bases loaded ground out by Reid Martinez scored Jonathan Dailey, before Dylan Freyre doubled home both Darren Honeysett and Ryan Atkinson.  Central's next batter, Tanner Romo, singled to right bringing Central back within one early. 
 
A wild pitch in the fourth inning scooted away from Western Oregon catch Brandon Olvier, allowing Dailey to find his way to the plate and a 5-5 score. 
 
Oliver's homerun in the fifth on the first pitch of his at-bat gave the Wolves another lead, this time 6-5. 
 
The Wolves picked up two runs in the eighth inning and one in the ninth, giving some cushion for their pitching staff. 
 
Trailing 9-5, the Wildcats struck three times in the ninth.  Martinez scored Dailey on a double, and was then pinch ran for by Myles Wesener.  Jake Levin reached on a dropped pop up down the right field line by Etheridge, scoring Honeysett.  A single by Freyre brought home Wesener and moved Rory Graf-Brennen to second.  Jacob Fricke slammed the door for the Wolves.
 
Cook (2-1) was charged with the loss.  He worked five innings and allowed six hits, six runs, and one walk.  He also struck out a trio of hitters.
 
Atkinson and Freyre both recorded a pair of hits, while Dailey picked up three. 
 
In game two Garrett Alvarez baffled Wildcat hitters, holding them to five hits and just one run. 
 
The Wolves scored once In the second on a safety squeeze, scoring Sullivan. 
 
Romo brought the game back to even with a solo homerun with two strikes in the bottom half of the second, 1-1. 
 
"Tanner has been playing well. He's done a good job for us and I anticipate he'll continue to do that for us.
 
In the sixth Western Oregon pushed three runs across against reliever CJ Gettman on a pair of hits.  Ryan Archibald (0-1) was charged with the loss.  He walked the only two batters he faced and they both came around to score. 
 
"Both those pitches were down and away," Storey noted Tip your hat to their guys, the first guy was a pinch hitter and he goes down and slaps it up the middle and it carries for a double, and Garcia just went down and golfed it for a hit, like I said, they had clutch hits today."
 
Freyre recorded two more hits on the season.  Romo, Randy Fuller, and Kyle Stahl each notched a hit. 
 
Justin Adams went five innings and allowed just one run on the mound.
 
"Justin did a great job," Storey added.  "Game two was opposite of game one in that we got good pitching. We just didn't hit the ball. We had a couple of opportunities to get a clutch hit. In the sixth inning, that's what WOU did."
 
The Wildcats are back in action Sunday (Apr. 3) for another doubleheader against Western Oregon.  First pitch is scheduled for noon.
 
"We have to be consistent," Storey noted.  "We talked about that today; one through nine, we have to be more consistent at the plate and stay inside of pitches and not help the pitcher. If we pitch it like Justin did today, we'll be fine."