ELLENSBURG, Wash. (May 9) – The Central Washington University baseball team dropped its first game of the 2018 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Baseball Championship to Western Oregon University, 4-3.
 
Griffey Halle's wind-aided walk-off homerun in the bottom of the ninth advanced the Wolves into the winner's bracket for day two.
 
Seth Pedersen (4-5) was charged with the loss.  Over 8.1 innings, Pedersen allowed nine hits, four earned runs, one walk, and he struck out seven.  Kolby Bales (5-0) recorded the win for the Wolves in one inning of relief work.
 
"I thought we played one of our best games of the season," CWU Head Coach Desi Storey said afterward.  "Seth [Pedersen] pitched a fantastic game for us.  You hate to see an outing like that end the way it did.  We played good defense, but offensively we need to make more happen when we get chances."
 
A passed ball in the second inning gave the Wildcats the first run and lead of the ball game.  The Wolves responded quickly in the bottom of the second.  Cody Dykstra singled home a pair of runs for a 2-1 advantage.
 
Nyles Nygaard roped a double into right center in the bottom of the third, scoring Jay Leverett, to expand the advantage to 3-1.
 
After the first two batters recorded outs to open the top of the sixth, Dustin Braun smashed a double to center field on a 2-0 pitch.  James Smith III strode to the plate and unloaded on the first pitch he saw, sending his 11^th homerun of the season into the seats, and tying the game at 3-3.
 
Both pitching staffs held their opponent quiet until the bottom of the ninth.
 
Pedersen worked the leadoff hitter Nygaard to a 1-2 pitch before the Wolves' third baseman grounded out.  Halle took the first pitch of his at-bat and flared a pop-up into right field that caught the wind stream and carried it over both the wall and Smith's outstretched glove for the walk-off solo homerun.
 
The Wildcats play Concordia University tomorrow (May 10) at 9:30 a.m.  The Cavaliers are the designated home team.  Concordia fell 21-11 in its first game of the 2018 GNAC Baseball Championship.