ELLENSBURG, Wash. – The Central Washington University baseball team finds a way to survive the first day of the GNAC Championships after dropping game one against Montana State Billings 4-5 but rebounding with a strong 6-3 victory over first-seed Northwest Nazarene.
 
Quoting CWU Baseball Head Coach Desi Storey
"Great job of the guys bouncing back and grinding out a win. Garza was awesome and we got some clutch hits."
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUPS:
 
Game One
Final: Central Washington (4), Montana State Billings (5)
 
Game Two
Final: Central Washington (6), Northwest Nazarene (3)
Location: CWU Baseball Field, Ellensburg, Wash.
 
GAME 1:
 
SCORING:

• Central opened the scoring after Jackson Betancourt threw a wild pitch that allowed Marcus Manzardo to score from third base.
• Kaden Kirshenbaum answered for the 'Jackets in the bottom of the first with a two-run single to score Bodee Wright and Zack Blaszak to make it 2-1 MSUB.
• The Wildcats responded by scoring in the third and fourth innings with Brandham Ponce hitting a sacrifice fly to score Manzardo and then Logan Blank singled to score Andrew Sharp to give the Crimson and Black the 3-2 lead.
• Then in the seventh inning with two men on, Wright found a pitch he was looking for and hit a three-run dinger to left field to give MSUB a 5-3 lead.
• Max Bledy answered with a double down the right field line to score Ben Leid but that was all that Central could get as the Yellowjackets held on to win game one 5-4.

 
PITCHING:

• Daniel Charron pitched 6.2 innings, allowing five runs on nine hits and three walks, while striking out three of the 30 batters he faced.
• Garet Hagy pitched the final 1.1 innings, allowing no runs and one hit, while striking out one of the five batters he faced.
• Jackson Betancourt pitched six innings and allowed three runs on eight hits, while striking out four batters.
• Hayden Mullins earned the win in the game after pitching the final three innings, allowing one run on two hits and no walks, facing 12 batters.

 
HITTING:

• Blank, Bledy, and Ponce earned an RBI each for CWU.
• Leid led the 'Cats in hitting with three hits, while seven others, including Ponce, Bledy, Blank, Manzardo, Baba Varner Jr., Sharp, and Brady Hinkle all recorded a hit.
• Bodee Wright led the 'Jackets with three hits and three RBIs, while Kaden Kirshenbaum followed with three hits and two RBIs.
• Jack Nehler got two hits, while Blaszak and Kaden Bertrum each recorded a hit for MSUB.

 
GAME 2:
 
SCORING:

• The Nighthawks kicked off the game with two quick runs in the first inning with Adrian Arechiga hitting a sacrifice fly to score Nin Burns II, while Kaleb Karpstein later scored on a passed ball.
• Central answered in the second as Travis Helm reached on a fielder's choice as Brady Hinkle forced out at second base and Max Bledy scored. Then Justin Birch followed with a first-pitch home run to left-center field to bring in Helm to make it 3-2 CWU.
• Bryan Rojas tied it up after hitting a sacrifice fly to allow Jason Bell to score in the fifth inning.
• The Crimson and Black got the break they were looking for with the bases loaded as Bledy singled to right field to drive in Marcus Manzardo and Brandham Ponce to retake the lead for Central at 5-3.
• After Andrew Sharp singled to get Bledy into scoring position, Hinkle followed with another single to score Bledy and the Wildcats' pitching would hold off the first-seeded Nighthawks to win the game 6-3 and keep CWU's season alive for one more day.

 
PITCHING:

• Jonathan Garza II got the win after pitching eight innings, allowing three runs on seven hits and one walk, while striking out seven batters.
• Kellen Berg got the save, pitching the final inning and allowing one hit, one walk, and striking out three batters.
• Landen Parker pitched the first six innings, allowing four runs on seven hits and one walk, while striking out four batters.
• Joseph Ihli pitched one inning and allowed two runs on three hits and one walk.
• Adam Brooks pitching 0.2 innings, walking one of the three batters he faced.
• Josh Bishopp pitched the final 1.1 innings, allowing two hits and striking out two batters.

 
HITTING:

• Bledy and Birch led the 'Cats with two RBIs each, while Helm and Hinkle each recorded an RBI.
• Hinkle led with three hits, while Ponce and Sharp got two hits, and five batters including Birch, Bledy, Helm, Manzardo, and Baba Varner Jr. all recorded a hit.
• Arechiga and Rojas led the Nighthawks with an RBI each.
• Burns II, Karpstein, and Cris Enriquez led with two hits each, while Rojas and Cole Calnon each got a hit.

 
UP NEXT:
The Wildcats will face Montana State Billings in the first game of day two. First pitch from the CWU Baseball Field is scheduled for noon.