ELLENSBURG, Wash. – The Central Washington University baseball team (19-19, 13-13 GNAC) fell to the GNAC-leading #16 Northwest Nazarene Nighthawks Friday afternoon after dropping the first game 3-11 and then falling to a late NNU comeback as the Nighthawks won 7-4. 

INSIDE THE MATCHUPS: 

Game 1 

Final: Central Washington (3), Northwest Nazarene (11) 

Records: CWU (19-18, 13-12 GNAC), NNU (30-12, 19-5 GNAC) 

Game 2 

Final: Central Washington (4), Northwest Nazarene (7) 

Records: CWU (19-19, 13-13 GNAC), NNU (31-12, 20-5 GNAC) 

Location: CWU Baseball Field, Ellensburg, Wash. 

GAME 1: 

SCORING: 

• Northwest Nazarene opened the scoring in the third inning after Bryan Rojas doubled down the left field line for an RBI, and Adrian Arechiga got an RBI single to drive in Rojas. 

• The Nighthawks extended their lead in the fifth inning with Rojas getting another RBI double, driving Nin Burns II in, and then Arechiga hit a shot to shallow center field and Baba Varner Jr. couldn't handle it as Kaleb Karpstein and Rojas scored, and Arechiga advanced to third on the error. 

• Cole Calnon followed with a double to left-center field to bring Arechiga in to make it 6-0. 

• Burns II brought another run in the sixth with a sacrifice fly that brought Jason Bell in.  

• Rojas got another hit with an RBI single that scored Carter Walsh to make the score 8-0. 

• Justin Birch got the Crimson and Black on the board with a solo shot to left field to make it 8-1. 

• The Nighthawks got four more runs in the ninth off a Calnon double, a bases-loaded walk by Burns II, and then Rojas continued his stellar performance with a two-RBI single to right field. 

• Justin Birch wasn't finished as he gave an encore performance with a two-run homer to left field, bringing in Logan Blank to make it 12-3. 

PITCHING: 

• Daniel Charron pitched four and one-third innings, allowing five runs, and four hits, facing 21 batters. 

• Kellen Berg pitched one and two-thirds inning, allowing three runs on two hits, facing 11 batters. 

• Braden Zadow pitched one inning, allowing zero runs, one hit, and striking out one of the four batters he faced. 

• Gabe Bustamante pitched one inning, allowing zero runs, and zero hits, facing three batters. 

• Luke VonGoedert pitched two thirds of an inning, allowing four runs, four hits, and striking out one of the seven batters he faced. 

• Devin MacWatters pitched one third inning, allowing zero runs, and zero hits, facing two batters. 

HITTING: 

• Justin Birch recorded three RBIs on two hits. 

• Marcus Manzardo recorded three hits, Logan Blank recorded two hits, while Max Bledy, Ben Leid, and Brandham Ponce recorded a hit. 

• The Wildcats reached base 13 times by hits and walks. 

GAME 2: 

SCORING: 

• The Wildcats didn't take long to make an impact as with the bases loaded, Ben Leid launched a shot to right-center field that bounced off the top of the outfield wall and notched the senior a grand slam in the first inning to give Central a 4-0 lead. 

• Karpstein got an RBI single in the third, scoring Walsh to make it 4-1. 

• The Crimson and Black's defense kept the Nighthawks off the board for most of the game until the seventh inning with NNU down to its last chance with two outs and two runners on base, Arechiga made a no-doubter slam to left-field to tie the game up. 

• Northwest Nazarene had their efforts pay off in the eighth inning as Walsh grounded into a double play that scored Gavin Brubaker from third, and then Karpstein hit an RBI single to score Burns II. Arechiga reached on an error by Justin Birch as Rojas scored in the action, as the Nighthawks would hold on to the lead to achieve their comeback and win 7-4. 

PITCHING: 

• Jonathan Garza II pitched six innings, allowing one run on five hits, and striking out eight of the 26 batters he faced. 

• Garet Hagy pitched one inning, allowing four runs on three hits, facing nine batters. 

• Joe Rajo pitched one inning, allowing two runs, and three hits, facing six batters. 

HITTING: 

• Ben Leid earned the Wildcats' only RBIs with four on his grand slam in the first inning. 

• Andrew Sharp recorded three hits, Leid recorded two hits, while Justin Birch, Marcus Manzardo, and Brandham Ponce each recorded a hit. 

• The Wildcats reached base 10 times by hits and walks. 

SERIES HISTORY: 

• Central trailed the all-time series 85-99. 

• These were the teams' 87th and 88th games played in Ellensburg, Wash. 
   

UP NEXT: 

The Wildcats and Nighthawks play the final two games of the series tomorrow for Senior Day for Central. First pitch is scheduled for noon PDT and will be preceded by a Senior Day ceremony.