ELLENSBURG, Wash. – Central Washington University baseball split day one of its conference series matchup with Western Oregon Saturday afternoon. The Wildcats took game one 6-5 before falling in game two 3-0.
 
Game one was a hitting battle with the two squads combining for 15 hit and 11 runs scored. Clean defense helped the Wildcats (5-11, 2-4 GNAC) who had no errors while the Wolves (5-5, 3-3 GNAC) had four despite winning the hitting battle 8-7.
 
The second game did not produce any runs until the final inning of action. WOU had four hits but once again committed three more errors to finish the day with seven. CWU managed to get three hits but never produced a run in the loss and had one error of defense.
 
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"We played hard all day but we let that last inning get away from us [in game two]," CWU Head Coach Desi Storey said. "We can't walk guys, but our players battled. That's a good team over there [in WOU]. If we continue to do things right, I think it's a different outcome in game two, but our guys did some good things today and hopefully we can carry that into tomorrow."
 
Game One: Central Washington 6, Western Oregon 5
The Wildcats and Wolves duked it out in the first contest as both squads had a four-run inning at the midway point but it was the home team that secured the series opening win behind the merit of clean defense.
 
The Wolves got on the board first in the second frame with a one-out solo shot over the left field fence by Justyn Herzog. CWU tied it up at 1-all in the bottom of the third after a fielding error from WOO got Michael Copeland on base. Mitch Lesmeister drove him in with an RBI double to left center to tie the game.
 
The Crimson and Back grabbed their first lead in the bottom of the fourth with a four-run outing that gave them a 5-1 edge. A fielding error to lead off the inning set up the eventual scoring barrage for CWU.
 
The Wolves loaded the bases following the error but got one out on a sacrifice bunt. Adam Fahsel then hit a three-RBI triple to deep center field and scored Trevor Tripoli, Jake Tilley, and Austin Ohland to make it 4-1. Justin Hampson brought Fahsel home with an RBI groundout to the shortstop before the Wolves closed the stanza.
 
WOU responded in the top of the fifth scoring four runs as well to tie the contest at 5-5. All four runs came with two outs on the field and all were earned on five consecutive hits. The Wolves hit two-straight doubles before an RBI double brought in the first run. Two more singles tacked on the remaining three runs for the Wolves
 
The Wildcats did not allow a hit the rest of the game and worked a pair of 1-2-3 innings to have a chance to win. That chance came in the bottom of the eighth. Derek Lohr led off with a double to left and a Tripoli sacrifice bunt got him to third.
 
Jason Hill came on to pinch hit for the Wildcats and played the role of hero as he hit a single into right field allowing Lohr to cross home plate. His RBI gave the Wildcats the final lead as they held on for the 6-5 series opening win.
 
Fahsel had just one hit on the day in four at bats but his lone hit produced three RBI to lead the Wildcats to victory. Ohland had the most hits with two, going 2-4 and scored a run. JJ Asinas got the win (2-0) on the bump after pitching 4.0 innings in relief for Tyler Hoefer. Hoefer finished with a game-high nine strikeouts in 5.0 innings of work.
 
Game Two: Western Oregon 3, Central Washington 0
The second game was pitcher's duel as the only runs from the contest did not come until seventh and final inning of work. WOU starter Logan Hatley pitched a complete game shutout to earn the win and day one split. He had 13 strikeouts in the win.
 
The Wildcats mustered just three hits in the game. One hit came in the second, third, and fourth, respectively. WOU did not fare much better having just four but three runs on five walks in the seventh was the difference maker.
 
Fast forward to the seventh inning, the Wolves did not have to do much in order to secure the run. The Wildcats surrendered back-to-back walks after allowing a single which brought in the first run. A throwing error then scored a second run before two more walks brought it to the final of 3-0 in favor of the Wolves.
 
Justin Hampson, Derek Lohr and Adam Fahsel each had a hit in the game. Aaron Foust suffered the loss (0-2). Starter Dillon Larsen went 5.1 innings and struck out nine batters.
 
Up Next
The Wildcats will close out their series with the Wolves Sunday afternoon (tomorrow) with a doubleheader. First pitch is set for 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. PT.