ELLENSBURG, Wash. (May 10) – The Central Washington University team defeated Concordia University 7-1, before falling to Montana State Billings 10-6 in the 2018 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Baseball Championship.
 
"I'm proud of our guys," CWU Head Coach Desi Storey said.  "They battled all day and all season.  They never once gave up, they kept fighting.  It was a heck of a season and they should be proud of what they accomplished."
 
Tyler Hoefer (5-0) picked up his fifth win of the year, tossing three innings of shutout relief in the day's first game.
 
The Wildcats started the scoring in the top of the first.  Dustin Braun reached on a fielder's choice, allowing Tristin Parton to score.  In the third inning, Parton crossed the plate again.  He scored on a wild pitch, making the game 2-0 in favor of CWU.
 
A single from Braun later in the third drove in Deckwa.  Christopher Dalto then launched a 2-1 pitch over the right field wall, extending the lead to 4-0.
 
An RBI double from Reid Penney in the fourth was the only run production for the Cavaliers.
 
A wild pitch in the fifth allowed Braun to score, before Justin Hampson singled up the middle to drove home Smith for the 6-1 lead.  In the top of the ninth, it was déjà vu for Hampson, as he singled back up the middle again to drive in Smith.
 
In the second game of the day, Montana State Billings jumped on the Wildcats early.
 
The scoring started in the top of the first.  Jalen Garcia swatted a solo homerun, but the advantage was quickly negated when Smith tripled home Parton in the bottom of the inning.
 
The Yellowjackets erupted for six runs in the second inning, including back-to-back homeruns, for a 7-1 lead.
 
Down by six, Dalto singled home Jaden Hassell in the bottom of the second, before Deckwa drove in Mitch Lesmeister with a single to right center.
 
After holding the 'Jackets scoreless in the third, Smith blasted a solo homerun to right center, making the score 7-4.
 
Montana State Billings tallied twice in the fourth, expanding their lead to 9-4.  Smith went to work again in the fourth, doubling home Deckwa for the Wildcats and putting Smith a single shy of the cycle.
 
After the Yellowjackets tallied once in the sixth, Vinny Guinasso drove a pinch hit single through the ride side to score Yi-an Pan.
 
After Dalto was hit by a 1-0 pitch, the Yellowjackets reached into their bullpen and called on Talon Derrick with two away and the bases loaded.  Derrick got a ground out on his first pitch to end the inning and subdue the threat.
 
Central Washington put a runner on base in both the eighth and ninth innings but could not find a way to level the score, ending their hope for a GNAC title.