BILLINGS, Mont. (May 4) – The Central Washington University baseball team )26-24, 21-19 GNAC) slugged its way to a pair of victories over Montana State Billings University (31-16, 29-11 GNAC) on the final day of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference regular season by scores of 11-4 and 21-6.
 
In the series finale the Wildcats scored 21 runs, the seventh most runs the program has scored in a single game.  The last time the Wildcats scored 20 or more runs was on April 26, 2014, when Central handily defeated Montana State Billings 20-6.  The most runs scored by the Wildcats in a single game is 31.  Central achieved the feat on March 27, 2010 against none other than Montana State Billings in a 31-15 victory.
 
"We got good pitching, Mack {Gaul] battled and we got some big hits," CWU Head Coach Desi Storey said.  "It just carried over to game two.  We hit everybody they threw at us, we were just barreling them up.  We needed to get those today, to bounce back.  The ball was flying around the park and we played good baseball, nothing fancy.  I'm proud of them for bouncing back."
 
After Jalen Garcia roped a two-run double in the bottom of the second, putting the Yellowjackets up 2-0, The Wildcats unloaded for eight runs in the third.
 
Dustin Braun kicked off the scoring by driving in Tristin Parton with a single to center.  James Smith III then singled home Ty Deckwa.  After Justin Hampson reached, Yi-an Pan drew a bases loaded, full count walk to score Braun.  Mitch Lesmeister then reached on a fielder's choice which allowed Smith to score on a throwing error.  Vinny Guinasso then drove a pair of runners in with a single through the right side.  The Wildcats weren't quite done as Parton singled through the right side to take an 8-2 advantage.
 
The Yellowjackets plated a pair of runs in the third, but Central negated the runs with two of their own.  Yi-an singled home Smith and Braun to take a 10-4 lead in the top of the fourth.
 
For the second time this season, the Wildcats scored 11 runs in an inning.  The bottom of the fifth saw the Wildcats double their run total for the game.
 
The scoring started when Braun drove in Deckwa with a single.  Hampson later singled home Smith and Braun, before Yi-an doubled home Hampson.  After loading the bases, Michael Peter drew a walk to force home Yi-an.  A fielding error then allowed Parton to reach and Lesmesiter to score.  A single from Deckwa brought around a pair of runners and put runners on the corners.  The first pitch Braun saw in his second at-bat of the fifth inning he took over the wall in left center field for a three-run shot and a 21-4 lead.
 
Montana State Billings scored a pair of runs in the fifth, but that concluded the offensive production for the regular season finale.
 
The Wildcats finished with 14 hits and 10 walks offensively.
 
Seth Pedersen (4-4) nabbed his fourth win of the season.  The right-hander finished four innings, allowed five runs, seven hits, one walk, and he struck out two.  Micah Richardson and Keegan Kast combined to finish the final three innings.
 
Central Washington's offense was clicking in game one as well.
 
Parton took the very first pitch of the day over the right field wall for a solo bomb.  The Yellowjackets scored three runs in the first, claiming a 3-1 advantage.  They tacked on another run in the third, extending the lead to 4-1.
 
The Wildcats held the Yellowjackets scoreless for the remainder of the game.  Meanwhile, on offense, Central put up crooked numbers in the third and fourth, before tacking on a run in both the sixth and seventh innings.
 
A single in the fourth from Lesmeister brought Hampson in to score, before Jesse Unger drove in Yi-an with a single of his own.  Lesmeister then scored on a wild pitch, tying the game at 4-4.
 
Braun brought around Parton in the fifth with a single through the left side for the Wildcats' second lead of the game.  Later in the inning, Hampson drew a bases loaded walk to force a run home.  Yi-an was then hit by a pitch, bringing another runner home.  Lesmeister singled down the right field line to score Smith, before Peter hit a sacrifice fly for the 9-4 advantage.
 
Smith got the Wildcats to double digits with his 10^th homerun of the season in the sixth. 
 
Parton added another run on a single in the seventh, giving CWU an 11-4 lead.
 
The Wildcats will now prepare for the GNAC tournament next week in Ellensburg.