ELLENSBURG, Wash. – The Central Washington University Baseball Team wrapped up their home portion of the regular season with a split in nonconference action against the Whitworth Pirates Sunday afternoon.
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUPS:
 
GAME 1:
 

• Final: Central Washington (13), Whitworth (17)
• Records: CWU (21-22), WU (23-13)

 
GAME 2:

 

• Final: Central Washington (13), Whitworth (5)
• Records: CWU (22-22), WU (23-14)
• Location: CWU Baseball Field, Ellensburg, Wash.

 
GAME 1:
 
SCORING:
 

• Whitworth started off the scoring in the second inning when Kevin Corder singled to right center field to score Brock Molenda followed by Dominic Giusti singling to right field and Spencer Shipman sacrificing himself to the left fielder to score Junior Garcia and Corder to make it 3-0 Pirates.
• The 'Cats responded in the bottom of the second when Trenton Love singled to right center field to score Andrew Sharp followed by a single to center field by Marcus Manzardo to score Andre Garza and cut it to a 3-2 WU lead.
• The Pirates answered back in the top of the third when Caleb Gray homered to right center field and later in the inning seeing Molenda single to right field to score Carson Coffield making it 5-2 WU.
• In the bottom of the third Brady Hinkle doubled to left field to score Brandham Ponce and later in the inning saw Love draw a bases loaded walk to score Hinkle which was followed by a single from Manzardo to score Logan Blank and Garza and give the 'Cats the 6-5 lead.
• WU came back in the fourth inning when Gray doubled to center field to score Shipman and Giusti followed by Kyle Memarian singling to right field to score Gray and give the Pirates the lead back, 8-6.
• Giusti added on for Whitworth in the fifth with a single to center field to score Molenda making it 9-6 WU.
• Ben Leid got the crimson and black back in the scoring column in the sixth inning with a triple to left field to score Baba Varner Jr.
• Garza tied things up in the seventh inning with a homerun to right field to also score Hinkle in the process, making it a nine all game.
• Whitworth had a huge eighth inning that was started by Molenda hitting a single to left field to score Gray which started a seven-run inning to make it 16-9 Pirates.
• Sharp drilled his first home run of the year in the bottom of the eighth to also score Ponce and cut it to a 16-11 Pirate lead.
• Corder tacked on one more in the top of the ninth with a single to left field to score Coffield and increase the Whitworth lead to 17-11.
• In the bottom of the ninth, Leid tried getting the momentum going with a single to right field to score Ponce and Love, but the Pirates would go on to win 17-13.

 
HITTING:
 

• The 'Cats had 16 total hits with Manzardo, Ponce, Leid, Sharp, Hinkle, Blank, and Love all recording two hits apiece.
• Varner Jr. and Garza both notched one hit.
• Manzardo had three RBI while Leid, Sharp, Garza, and Love all had two and Hinkle had one.
• Ponce, Leid, and Love all drew one walk.
• Molenda led Whitworth with four hits while Giusti had four RBI.

 
PITCHING:
 

• Logan Pierce pitched the first 3.2 innings allowing 10 hits, eight runs, and one walk but earned one strikeout against 23 batters.
• Logan Thompson pitched 1.2 innings allowing three hits, one run, and three walks but also earned one strikeout while facing 10 batters.
• Gabe Bustamante pitched 1.2 innings, allowing no hits, no runs, and no walks and had one strikeout against five batters.
• Kaden Haffner pitched 0.1 innings allowing three hits, five runs, and two walks against six batters.
• Braden Zadow pitched the next 0.2 innings allowing two hits, two runs, no walks, and earned one strikeout against four batters.
• Dallas Kaili made his season debut pitching the final inning allowing two hits, one run, and one walk against six batters.
• Quentin O'Connor started the game for the Pirates, pitching the first three innings allowing seven hits, six runs with four being earned, and two walks while striking out three of 20 batters.
• Luke Stutesman pitched the next 4.2 innings allowing five hits, five runs, and one walk but earned three strikeouts against 21 batters.
• Tyler Disch pitched the next 1.1 innings allowing four hits, two runs with one being earned, and earned one strikeout while facing nine batters.

 
GAME 2:
 
SCORING:
 

• Ty Quiggle put the Pirates up early in the first with a single to left field to score Austin Paul and make it 1-0 WU.
• Ponce responded for the 'Cats in the bottom of the first when Ponce singled to left field to score Justin Birch, then scoring himself on a throwing error by the shortstop to make it 2-1 CWU.
• Manzardo made it a 3-1 lead with a single to right center field to score Kellen Berg in the second.
• The Pirates cut into the lead and made it 3-2 in the third when Reed Gunnett homered to right field.
• The 'Cats responded in a big way in the bottom of the third as Sharp singled to right field to score Ponce followed by Blank singling to right field to score Sharp, then later in the inning Travis Helm sacrificed himself to the shortstop to score Garza, and finally Birch drew a bases loaded walk to score Blank and make it 7-2 CWU.
• Sharp and Blank added on in the fourth inning as Sharp hit a double to center field to score Leid then Blank sacrificed himself to the first baseman to score Sharp and make it 9-2 in favor of the crimson and black.
• Whitworth made surge in the sixth inning as Henry Douglas reached on a fielding error by the shortstop to score Cole Weiland followed by Paul singling to left field to score Doubles and Ty Komoda sacrificing himself to the center fielder to score Yash Gupta and cut it to a 9-5 CWU lead.
• The 'Cats put it to bed in the sixth inning started by a homerun by Leid down the right field line followed by Helm singling to right field to score Sharp, then Manzardo singling to second base to score Garza, and finally Birch hitting a single to right field to score Blank and give the 'Cats the 13-5 victory.

 
HITTING:
 

• The 'Cats were led by Birch who had three hits while Manzardo, Ponce, and Sharp all added two hits.
• Leid, Blank, Helm, and Berg all logged one hit apiece.
• Manzardo, Birch, Sharp, Blank, and Helm all had two RBI while Ponce and Leid both added one RBI.
• Garza drew two walks while Manzardo, Birch, Leid, Sharp, Blank, and Berg all drew one apiece.
• The Pirates had three players finish with two hits and four different players log one RBI.

 
PITCHING:
 

• Drake Anderson pitched the first six innings allowing nine hits, five runs with only three being earned, and one walk while earning six strikeouts against 32 batters.
• Luke VonGoedert pitched the final inning, allowing no hits, no runs, and one walk against four batters.
• Rylen Blair pitched the first 2.1 innings for Whitworth allowing seven hits, seven runs with only six being earned, and one walk against 16 batters.
• Jared Hardie came in to pitch the next 0.2 innings allowing no hits, one run, and four walks but earned one strikeout against six batters.
• Tyler VanCise pitched the next two innings, allowing two hits and one run and earned one strikeout against eight batters.
• Dillon McCardle pitched the final inning allowing four hits, four runs, and three walks while earning one strikeout against 10 batters.

 
SERIES HISTORY:
 

• The 'Cats now own the series 19-6 since 2005.
• CWU is 12-4 against Whitworth at the CWU Baseball Field.
• The crimson and black are 7-3 over the Pirates in the past 10 games.

 
UP NEXT:
 

• CWU will conclude the regular season the road this coming week as they look to secure the final spot in the GNAC Championship Tournament that's hosted by the Wildcats.
• The crimson and black make the tough roadtrip to Billings, Montana to clash with the Yellowjackets of MSUB (28-16, 19-9 GNAC).
• The four-game series is set for Thursday, May 1 and Friday, May 2 with the first pitch set for noon on Thursday and 11:00 a.m. PST on Friday with all the action coming from Dehler Park.