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 22-19 overall and 118-14 in GNAC games.  The Saints now hold a 13-29 record overall, with a 10-22 conference mark.
 
"We would have liked to do more than a split this weekend," CWU Head Coach Desi Storey said.  "We are currently third in the conference, if we take the series it can help put some space between us and Billings." 


Both teams came out swinging in game one. Darren Honesett got it started in the first, bringing home Ryan Atkinson.  Jonathan Dailey singled fourth, scoring Kyle Stahl and giving the Wildcats a 2-0 lead.
 
A three-run fourth inning for the Saints gave Saint Martin's their first advantage of the game, but it was quickly erased by Central.
 
Jake Levin brought home Honeysett with a single in the fifth, levelling the score at 3-3.  Stahl then roped a triple, scoring Levin and reclaiming the lead at 4-3.
 
The Saints went back to work in the fifth, scoring six runs and taking a 9-4 lead.  Another run in the seventh put the Saints to double digits.
 
Honeysett's two-run double in the eighth started the Wildcats' comeback.  Ryan Archibald then doubled home Honeysett before coming around to score himself on a delayed steal with runners on the corners.  The Wildcats' comeback fell short, however and the Saints claimed a 10-8 victory.
 
Kyle Blankenship (2-3) was charged with the loss.  In 1.1 innings of relief he allowed five runs, all earned.
 
Stahl continued his success from yesterday, finishing game one with four hits.
 
"Kyle is hitting the ball very well right now," Storey noted.  "He's in a groove and continues to come through in big spots for us."
 
The two sides combined for 29 hits.
 
In game two, Central jumped to a 3-0 lead in the second inning.  Levin opened the scoring with a solo home run.  Rory Graf-Brennen then singled home Stahl.  A fielding error allowed Archibald to score later in the inning.
 
Central added another run in the fourth on an RBI single from Conor Plaisance.
 
In the sixth inning Graf-Brennen and Plaisance scored on a double by Jonathan Dailey.
 
Justin Adams stymied the Saints' offense, hurling a complete game and allowing just one hit.  He also struck out six hitters.
 
"Heck of an outing by Justin," Storey noted.  "Give credit to our defense as well.  Justin put us in a great position to win and we executed on all accounts."
 
Central's next game is Tuesday (Apr. 26) against Lewis-Clark State in Ellensburg.