OAKLAND, Calif. – After splitting two games with the Academy of Art yesterday, the Central Washington University baseball team seized the series lead tonight with a 7-4 win to go up 2-1 in the series.
 
The Wildcats (2-4) put up another 10-hit game to help the offense score seven runs. Defensively, Central had just one error in the game held the Urban Knights (1-2) to just four hits. AAU scored two runs in the opening frame but managed just two more the rest of the night.
 
"We played pretty well tonight on both sides of the ball," CWU Head Coach Desi Storey said. "I thought our pitching was good and consistent the whole night. We are also starting to hit better through the lineup."
 
Tyler Hoefer was on the bump for the Wildcats in game three against the Urban Knights. After allowing a leadoff walk, Hoefer was able to record a strike out looking for the first out of the ball game.
 
A double from Thomas Delgadillo plated a run for the Urban Knights. Delgadillo stole third and would later score on a ground out from Noah Daubin. Hoefer closed the inning strong with a strikeout. The Wildcats trailed 2-0 after the opening frame.  
 
Hoefer settled down nicely in the second inning. He picked up the first two outs via the strikeout. He struck out Ryan Gamboa looking. He followed up by forcing a weak wave from Morgan Edwards. The inning concluded with a standard groundout, as the Wildcats entered the third still trailing by two.
 
Austin Ohland got the Wildcats on the board in the fourth inning. The freshman out of Maple Valley, Wash. led off the inning with a solo shot. The home run was the first of his collegiate career. Ohland aided the Wildcats in cutting the lead in half, as they trailed the Urban Knights 2-1 midway through the fourth.
 
Hoefer found a groove in the bottom of the inning as he and the Wildcats worked a 1-2-3 frame to keep their deficit at one run. The bats also came to life in the top of the fifth with two runs scored on two hits.
 
Adam Fahsel drew a leadoff walk and immediately stole second to get things going. A Justin Hampson single to right field scored Fahsel for the RBI and tied it up at 2-all. Two batters later, Jaden Hassell dinged an RBI single to left field to score Hampson and the Wildcats lead grew to 3-2.
 
The Urban Knights got two runners on in the bottom of the fifth on a throwing error from central and a walk but the Wildcats escaped the jam to maintain a 3-2 lead. The offense kept its momentum going in the sixth and tacked on three more runs to open up a 6-2 lead.
 
Central's three runs came on a two-out rally after the Urban Knights got two quick outs to start the sixth. Fahsel was then walked again before Hampson hit another single. Both got into scoring position on the throw from center field. AAU made a pitching change but it did not matter as two more hits helped score three runs for the Crimson and Black.
 
Trevor Tripoli hit a single through the right side for two RBI and the Wildcats lead grew to 5-2. Tripoli got to second on the throw and was brought home on an RBI double from Mitch Lesmeister. With the lead at four runs, 6-2, the Urban Knights finally got the third out to stop the bleeding.
 
Central still continued its trend of strong defense after allowing the two first inning runs and kept AAU from building any rhythm on the bats. Pitching combined with solid fielding kept the Wildcats in front 6-2 after six innings of work.
 
A leadoff walk got things started for AAU as they scored two runs to cut the Wildcats lead to two, 6-4. Edwards who was walked eventually got to third on a wild pitch and a balk, respectively. An RBI double scored Edwards and Fabian Barcena, who was also walked, before CWU ended the inning.
 
Fahsel was walked yet again to lead off the eighth. A Tripoli single got him third before a deep RBI single to center field by Hassell scored him. The run scored got the Wildcats back up three, 7-4, before the Urban Knights closed out the top of the inning.
 
AAU threatened in the bottom of the eighth after two runners got on base by back-to-back hit by pitches. Central held composure and forced a double play and then got a ground out to escape the jam and hold a 7-4 edge going into the ninth.
 
The Urban Knights looked to make a comeback in the bottom of the frame, but Josh Touhey took over the final half inning and kept the defense in a solid spot. He threw on strikeout and got two ground outs to end the game and give CWU a 2-1 series lead.
 
Hampson had the most hits going 3-5 with a run scored and an RBI. Tripoli went 2-3 with two RBI, while Hassell was 2-5 also with two RBI to round out the multi-hit performers. Hoefer got the win to go to 1-0. He fanned six batters in the win. Touhey picked up the save for his first of the season.
 
The series finale takes place tomorrow. First pitch between the Wildcats and the Urban Knights is scheduled for 11 a.m.