LACEY, Wash. (Apr. 23) – The Central Washington University baseball team split its Great Northwest Athletic Conference doubleheader against Saint Martin's University.  The Wildcats are now 21-18 overall and 11-28 in GNAC games.  The Saints now hold a 12-28 record overall, with an 8-21 conference mark.
 
In game one, the Wildcats' offense posted eight runs on 14 hits.  The offense got going in the first inning with a Dylan Freyre double, bringing home Reid Martinez for a 1-0 lead.
 
"Our bats looked good in that first game," CWU Head Coach Desi Storey said.  "We turned on some pitches and put good swings together.  Hit a couple out of the ballpark, which is always nice to have."
 
The Saints levelled the score in the bottom half of the opening inning with a sacrifice fly. 
 
Ryan Atkinson hit a solo home run in the third inning, before Kyle Stahl hit a sacrifice fly and brought home Darren Honeysett.
 
Honeysett returned the favor in the fourth, singling to right and scoring Jonathan Dailey.  Martinez then brought home Atkinson on a ground out, taking a 5-1 lead.
 
The Saints hit a two-run home run in the fourth, cutting the Wildcats' lead to 5-3.
 
Both sides were quiet until the seventh inning, when Jake Levin went deep for a 6-3 lead.
 
"It was nice to see Jake come through for us there," Storey added.  "We know he has the ability to do that for us and it was a big at-bat."
 
A two-run double in the bottom half of the seventh for Saint Martin's brought the score to 6-5.
 
The Wildcats scored a run in both the eighth and ninth innings.  Stahl hit an RBI single in the eighth, scoring James Smith III.  Freyre then reached on a fielding error in the ninth, scoring Benjamin Dunbar.
 
Mitch Yada (2-1) notched his second victory of the season.  He tossed 6.2 innings, allowing five runs, and eight hits.  CJ Gettman struck out the side in ninth for his eighth save.
 
"CJ came on and did what we know he can do," Storey noted.  "He went out there and missed bats."
 
Central opened the scoring in game two in the first inning.  Freyre doubled home Atkinson with two outs for a 1-0 lead.  In the third Freyre reached on an error, allowing Atkinson to score and extend the lead to 2-0. 
 
Saint Martin's struck back in the fourth inning with a two-run shot, levelling the score at 2-2.
 
A balk in the fifth inning brought around the first of fours runs the Saints scored in the fifth, taking a 6-2 lead.
 
With runners on the corners Martinez reach on a fielder's choice, scoring Atkinson and drawing the Wildcats closer.
 
Three batters later Stahl hit a two-run home run, cutting the deficit to 6-5 with two outs.  The Saints held on for the victory.
 
"Kyle had a big day," Storey said.  "He's been swinging it well for us, so we've tried to find him some extra at-bats and it paid off today."
 
Levin (4-5) was charged with the loss.  He went 4.2 innings, allowing seven hits, and six runs.  Only three runs were earned.
 
"We need to tighten up defensively," Storey finished.  "There were too many unearned runs behind Jake.  It all comes down to execution."
 
Atkinson finished 3-for-3 with three runs scored.  Stahl recorded a pair of runs batted in. 
 
The Wildcats are back in action tomorrow, Apr. 24, for another doubleheader against Saint Martin's.  First pitch is scheduled for noon.