Baseball | 5/11/2017 7:06:00 PM
Box Score PORTLAND, Ore. (May 11) – A late rally from Western Oregon University sank the Central Washington University baseball team in the second round of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference tournament, 13-7.
The Wolves jumped out to a 1-0 lead with a single from Jacob Martinez in the first inning. Central responded in their first opportunity of the contest. A single from
Jake Levin brought
Kyle Stahl around and brought the game back to level at 1-1.
The Wildcats offense didn't stop there in the first. Following a brief rain delay,
Conor Plaisance lifted a 2-1 pitch from Trey Smith to left field, cutting through the rain and beyond the outfield fence for a two-run cuadrangular and a 3-1 lead.
After zeroes in the second Levin doubled home Stahl, making it 4-1 Wildcats. Plaisance then singled home
Ty Deckwa, before
James Smith III singled through the left side, bringing in Levin and a 6-1 lead for Central.
The Wolves began cutting the deficit in the sixth. A double to left center from Torreahno Sweet brought Joey Crunkilton around. Later in the inning, Garrett Anderson singled, driving home Sweet.
Western Oregon added two in the seventh, cutting the Wildcats' lead to 7-5. The Wolves' offense found life in the eighth inning. Western Oregon brought eight runners across the plate, taking a 13-7 advantage.
Mackenzie Gaul got the start and went 5.2 innings and allowed seven hits, three earned runs, two walks, and four strikeouts.
Tyler Hoefer (2-2) was charged with the loss.
"We knew it was going to be a battle," CWU Head Coach
Desi Storey said. "Western Oregon is a good team and they showed why they were on top of the conference in the regular season. We started out well, our bats got going and Mack cruised through four. After that we struggled to find consistency and it hurt us."
The Wolves held the Wildcats scoreless from the sixth inning on, advancing to the GNAC Championship game.
Central Washington plays Northwest Nazarene for the second time in the tournament at 7:30 p.m.
