ELLENSBURG, Wash. – The Central Washington University Baseball Team earned a pair of thrilling victories in nonconference action against the Whitworth Pirates Saturday afternoon.
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUPS:
 
GAME 1:
 

• Final: Central Washington (7), Whitworth (5)
• Records: CWU (20-21), WU (22-12)

 
GAME 2:
 

• Final: Central Washington (10), Whitworth (9)
• Records: CWU (21-21), WU (22-13)
• Location: CWU Baseball Field, Ellensburg, Wash.

 
GAME 1:
 
SCORING:
 

• Kyle Memarian put the Pirates up early in the first inning when he singled to right field to score Aidan Morrison which was followed by Carson Coffield stealing home to make it 2-0 Whitworth.
• Ben Leid tied things up in the bottom of the first with a single to right field to score Brandham Ponce and Baba Varner Jr.
• Marcus Manzardo gave CWU their first lead of the day in the third inning when he singled to left center field to score Justin Birch.
• Later in the third Varner Jr. hit a bomb to right center field to also score Manzardo and make it 5-2 'Cats.
• Birch added on in the fourth inning with a homer of his own to score Brady Hinkle in the process and make it 7-2 CWU.
• The Pirates made things interesting in the top of the eighth when Dominic Giusti doubled down the left field line to score Kevin Corder to make it 7-3 CWU.
• Still in the eighth Caleb Gray doubled to center field to score Austin Paul and Giusti and cut it to a 7-5 game, but the Wildcat pitching held steady to earn the series-opening victory.

 
HITTING:
 

• Varner Jr. led the way for CWU with three hits while Andrew Sharp, Hinkle, and Birch each tacked on two.
• Manzardo, Leid, and Max Bledy each logged one hit apiece.
• Birch and Varner Jr. both had two RBI while Manzardo and Leid each logged one.
• Manzardo and Leid each drew one walk.
• The Pirates were led by Memarian who had two hits while Gray had two Rbi.

 
PITCHING:
 

• Daniel Charron pitched the first four innings allowing three hits, two runs, no walks, and earned six strikeouts against 15 batters.
• Kellen Berg pitched the next two innings allowing no hits, no runs, and no walks against six batters.
• Braden Zadow allowed four hits, three runs, and one walk against nine batters in 1.2 pitched innings.
• Gabe Bustamante pitched the final 1.1 innings to earn the save allowing only one hit and one walk but earned one strikeout against six batters.
• AJ Woodward pitched three innings for WU allowing seven hits, five runs, and one walk against 15 batters.
• Mason Burkhardt pitched the final five innings allowing five hits, two runs, and one walk while earning one strikeout against 22 batters.

 
GAME 2:
 
SCORING:
 

• The Pirates got things started in the top of the second inning when Brock Molenda scored on a passed ball followed by Ty Quiggle singled to left field to score Shipman and make it 2-0 WU.
• Whitworth struck again in the third when Molenda sacrificed himself to score Memarian to make it 3-0 Pirates.
• Ponce put the 'Cats on the board in the bottom of the third when he sacrificed himself to score Nolan Mowry which was followed by Leid singling to right center field to score Manzardo to make it 3-2 WU.
• Still in the third, Sharp singled to left field to score Varner Jr. followed by Birch singling up the middle to score Leid and Sharp and capped by Mowry singling up the middle to score Bledy to give the 'Cats the 6-3 lead.
• Varner Jr. tacked on his second homerun of the day in the fourth inning to make it 7-3 in favor of the crimson and black.
• The Pirates stormed back in the fifth inning when Molenda homered to right center field followed by Quiggle hitting a single to right center field to score Shipman and Cole Weiland singling to right field to score Gunnar Graves to cut it to a 7-6 CWU lead.
• Whitworth took the lead in the sixth inning when Molenda tripled to center field to score Memarian and Gray, but Molenda scored on a wild pitch later in the inning to make it 9-7 WU.
• In the bottom of the sixth, Leid started the 'Cats comeback with a single to left field to score Varner Jr. which was followed by Andre Garza sacrificing himself to the first baseman to score Leid and tie things up at nine apiece.
• Ponce delivered in the bottom of the seventh with a walk-off single to left field to score Logan Blank and give the crimson and black the day one sweep by a 10-9 score.

 
HITTING:
 

• Varner Jr. and Leid both recorded three hits apiece to lead CWU.
• Ponce, Sharp, Bledy, and Mowry all tacked on two hits apiece while Birch and Travis Helm both logged one hit.
• Ponce, Leid, and Birch all had two Rbi while Varner Jr., Sharp, Garza, and Mowry all had one RBI.
• Manzardo, Varner Jr., and Nate Nadeau all drew one walk.
• The Pirates were led by Molenda who had three hits and four RBI.

 
PITCHING:
 

• Jonathan Garza II pitched the first four innings for the 'Cats allowing four hits, three runs with two being earned, and three walks while earning two strikeouts against 20 batters.
• Joe Rajo pitched one inning allowing five hits, five runs, two walks, and struck out three of 11 batters faced.
• Garet Hagy pitched the final two innings allowing one hit, one run, no walks, and struck out four of seven batters.
• Dylan Huntsman pitched the first 2.2 innings for Whitworth allowing seven hits, six runs, two walks, and struck out one of 17 batters.
• Nathaniel Kurano pitched the next 2.1 innings allowing three hits and one run while striking out three of 11 batters.
• Seth Mahler pitched the final 1.1 innings allowing six hits, three runs, one walk and earned one strikeout against 11 batters.

 
SERIES HISTORY:
 

• The 'Cats own the series 18-5 since 2005.
• CWU is now on a three-game winning streak.
• The crimson and black are 11-3 against Whitworth at the CWU Baseball Field.

 
UP NEXT:
 

• The Wildcats will wrap up the home portion of their regular season with another pair of games against the Pirates on Sunday with game one set to start at noon with game two to follow approximately 40 minutes after the conclusion of game one.