SAN FRANCISCO, California. – Central Washington Baseball lost 8-9 to Academy of Art on Tuesday night.

QUOTING HEAD COACH DESI STOREY
"We did everything we should have to win the game except pitch well out of the pen. Coming out of the pen we couldn't throw strikes and couldn't get ahead. The offense came back twice, and we couldn't hold our lead. We need to be better at getting ahead of the count and when we don't that's what the outcome is. We have to rebound and do better this weekend."

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Kevin Baba Varner Jr. started the game with a single to left field. Travis Helm drove in the first run of the game reaching base on a fielding error. Austin Ohland roped one through the left side scoring Trenton Love and giving CWU the 2-0 lead.
• In the top of the 5^th CWU was up 2-0 and Alex Brady recorded two strikeouts on the mound.
• Divine Ayemere hit a double to left field that scored Austin Ohland. Then, Trevor Tripoli mashed a single to center scoring Ayemere and giving the 'Cats a 4-0 lead.
• In the bottom of the sixth, Liam Rizzo sailed a three-run homer over the left field wall to make it 3-4.
• In the top of the 7^th, Academy of Art took the 6-5 lead off a single from Rizzo that scored Henderson.
• In the top of the 8^th, the 'Cats scored three runs to take back the lead, 8-6.
• In the bottom of the 8^th, Academy of Art mounted a comeback. A fly out from Levine scored Niki and Travis Turney gave the Knights the 9-8 lead by nailing a double to left center.
• In the last inning, the Wildcats couldn't score against Fernando Duenas and the Knights took the 9-8 victory.

 
HITTING
Coach Storey had the following to say about his team's offense, "We did a good job jumping on their first guy and Varner set the tone. We got away from our approach for two innings, but then the guys readjusted. The guys strung things together and forced them to make changes. That was good to see and needs to continue."
 

• Travis Helm and Ben Leid both went 2-4 at the plate. Leid had an RBI and Helm had two.
• Austin Ohland went 1-1 with an RBI. Divine Ayemere hit 2-5 with a double and two RBIs

 
PITCHING

• Alex Brady had a fantastic outing; through five innings he struck out three batters and didn't allow a run.
• Nolan Murphy came in for Brady and then Beau Kearsey came in for Murphy. Both had a hard time finding the zone.
• Nolan Milliman relieved Kearsey, and Drew Richardson pitched the final five outs.

 
UP NEXT

• The Wildcats (2-7) have a four-game series this Friday and Saturday against Stanislaus State (3-2). Games 1 and 2 are at 1:00 and 4:00 p.m. and games 3 and 4 starts at 12:00 p.m. and 3 p.m.