ELLENSBURG, Wash. (Mar. 11) –The Central Washington University baseball team (12-6, 7-1) unloaded in an 11-run fourth inning in game one en route to an 18-5 win over Concordia University (3-16, 2-6), before falling 11-5 in game two.
"We're happy to take three games in the series," CWU Head Coach
Desi Storey said. "Obviously we'd like to have all four, but winning the series sets us up well for next weekend. Our offense was great again today. Any time you score 11 runs in one inning, you know you've done something right and today, especially in game one, we were swinging the sticks really well."
Mackenzie Gaul (2-1) earned his second win of the season in the front end of the doubleheader. The southpaw went five innings and allowed one earned run on four hits. He struck out three hitters.
James Smith III went 5-for-6 with two runs scored, four runs batted in, a pair of doubles, and a homerun.
Mitch Lesmeister,
Christopher Dalto,
Yi-Fan Pan, and
Justin Hampson each recorded a two-hit game. Hampson drove in three, while
Michael Heinevetter drove in a pair.
The scoring started in the bottom of the first, when Smith doubled home Lesmeister. Heinevetter then hit a sacrifice fly for a 2-0 lead.
After the Cavaliers got a run back in the third, Smith blasted a solo shot giving for a 3-1 Wildcat lead.
The Wildcats' bats came alive for an 11-run inning in the fourth. A throwing error allowed
Jaden Hassell to score, starting the scoring. Hampson then roped a triple to center, scoring a pair. Lesmeister followed with a double, bringing home Hampson. Deckwa strung the third consecutive extra base, run scoring hit together with a double down the right field line to score Lesmeister. Smith then doubled down the right field line, scoring Deckwa.
A bases loaded walk later in the inning allowed
Dustin Braun to score. Dalto then singled to right, scoring Smith. A wild pitch allowed Heinevetter to score, before Hampson recorded an RBI ground out. Dalto then scored on a passed ball, staking out a 14-1 advantage.
The Cavaliers added two runs in the fifth before the Wildcats tallied two runs of their own. Both teams scored in the sixth, bringing the score to 18-4. The Cavaliers added one run in the ninth, but fell short 18-5.
In game two Concordia jumped on the offensive early, tallying thrice in the first inning. The Cavaliers tacked on four more runs in the second inning, staking out an early 7-0 lead.
The Wildcats scratched one run across in the second, before a single from Deckwa and a double from Lesmeister brought home a combined three runs in the fourth.
Trailing 7-4 in the fifth, Dalto was hit by a pitch with bases loaded to cut the deficit to 7-5.
The Cavaliers expanded their lead in the sixth and seventh, to 11-5, for the victory.
JJ Asinas (1-1) was charged with the loss. He allowed seven runs, on eight hits, over two innings.
The Wildcats are on the road next week as they travel to Western Oregon for a four-game series on Saturday and Sunday.
