ELLENSBURG, Wash. – The Central Washington University baseball team (17-15, 11-9 GNAC) finished off a strong weekend, sweeping Saint Martin's University (1-34, 1-18 GNAC) Saturday afternoon 9-4 in the first game of the doubleheader, and then walking off the second 5-4 off a solo home run by Brandham Ponce. 

Quoting CWU Baseball's Head Coach Desi Storey 

"Great job grinding out the weekend. The guys pitched well, and we got some great at-bats and clutch hits including that last one." 

INSIDE THE MATCHUPS:

Game 1 

Final: Central Washington (9), Saint Martin's (4) 

Records: CWU (16-15, 10-9 GNAC), SMU (1-33, 1-17 GNAC) 

Game 2  

Final: Central Washington (5), Saint Martin's (4) 

Records: CWU (17-15, 11-9 GNAC), SMU (1-34, 1-18 GNAC) 

Location: CWU Baseball Field, Ellensburg, Wash.  

GAME 1:

SCORING: 

• Saint Martin's struck early, scoring a run in the first when Peter Hollabaugh singled to right field to drive in Hunter Sasaki. 

• The Wildcats answered in the second inning with a Logan Blank single, driving in Andrew Sharp from second base. 

• The Saints continued to hold momentum into the third inning when Alex Hartnett dinged one to right field for a two-run home run, driving in Isaac Hoag to make it 3-1 SMU. 

• Central didn't take long to respond as Baba Varner Jr. tripled to lead off the bottom of the third. Brandham Ponce followed with a single up the middle to drive Varner Jr. to make it 2-3.  

• Ponce advanced to second base off a balk to get in scoring position, and Ben Leid capitalized with a double down the right-field line to bring Ponce in to tie the game at 3-3. 

• The scoring continued for the 'Cats as Brady Hinkle flipped the direction with a double down the left field line as Leid scored to make it 4-3 CWU. 

• The Crimson and Black carried the offensive momentum into the fourth inning, as Sharp singled into center field to drive in Varner Jr. and advanced Leid to third base. 

• Hinkle followed up with another single that bounced over the left fielder's glove to bring Leid in to make it 6-3. 

• The defensive woes for Saint Martin's continued as Logan Blank singled to right field to drive in Sharp, but a fielding error by Alex Hartnett allowed Hinkle to score from first base and Blank advanced to second. 

• Trenton Love followed up with a single to shortstop. Rylen Miyasaki had a good look to force Love out at first, but the throw didn't have enough power as the ball bounced off the infield and deflected off Hollabaugh's glove at first base, allowing Blank to score on the error and give the Wildcats a 9-3 lead. 

• SMU found a way to get back in the scoring category as Evan Nicol hit a base hit to shortstop and Justin Birch couldn't handle the groundball and Hunter Sasaki capitalized, scoring a run to make it 9-4 CWU. 

PITCHING: 

• Brandham Ponce pitched five innings, allowing four runs on nine hits, facing 24 batters. 

• Joe Rajo pitched three innings, allowing zero runs, two hits, and striking out five of the 13 batters he faced. 

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

HITTING: 

• Logan Blank and Brady Hinkle led the Wildcats in RBIs with two each. Ben Leid, Brandham Ponce, and Andrew Sharp each earned an RBI. 

• Brandham Ponce recorded three hits, Blank, Hinkle, and Baba Varner Jr. recorded two hits, while Leid, Sharp, and Trenton Love recorded a hit. 

• The Wildcats reached base 18 times by hits and walks. 

GAME 2:

SCORING: 

• Ben Leid kicked off the scoring in game two with a two-run homer to left-center field to bring in Ponce in the bottom of the first inning. 

• The Wildcats got another run in the fourth inning as Logan Blank hit a sacrifice flyout to allow Max Bledy to tag up and score to make it 3-0. 

• SMU got on the board in the fifth after Isaac Hoag answered with a sacrifice flyout and Rylen Miyasaki tagged up and got the Saints' first run. 

• The Wildcats responded in the bottom of the frame as Baba Varner Jr. scored on a wild pitch to give CWU a 4-1 lead. 

• Saint Martin's got a spark in the sixth as Evan Nicol hit a solo shot to left-center field to cut the lead in half at 4-2. 

• Kyle Schabot followed with a double for the Saints and then Kelton Tom hit another double to drive in Schabot to make it 4-3 CWU. 

• The Wildcats got into a jam with runners on the corners. Alex Hartnett hit a deep fly ball that Varner Jr. caught, but Hunter Sasaki tagged up to tie the game 4-4. 

• Brandham Ponce gets a chance and doesn't waste his opportunity, hitting a deep shot to right-center field to walk off the game and seal the sweep for the Crimson and Black. 

PITCHING: 

• Logan Pierce pitched six innings, allowing four runs on nine hits, and striking out seven of the 29 batters he faced. 

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

HITTING: 

• Ben Leid led the Wildcats in RBIs with two total. Logan Blank and Brandham Ponce each earned an RBI. 

• Leid and Max Bledy recorded two hits, while Ponce, Justin Birch, and Baba Varner Jr. recorded a hit. 

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

SERIES HISTORY:

• Central leads the all-time series 107-90. 

• These were the teams' 97th and 98th games played in Ellensburg, Wash. 
   

UP NEXT:

The Wildcats head out on the road to Monmouth, Ore. to take on the Western Oregon Wolves for a four-game series starting on Saturday, April 12. First pitch is set for 1:00 p.m.