ELLENSBURG, Wash. – The Central Washington University baseball team ended a high-scoring battle against the Eastern Oregon Mountaineers in the ninth inning with a walk off single from Lance Mittelman on Tuesday afternoon to win 15-14 at the CWU Baseball Field.
 
QUOTING CWU BASEBALL HEAD COACH DESI STOREY

"It always feels good to win a game. To be able to come home for the first time, and put together some positives, and come away with the W is good. Obviously, we had our ups-and-downs on the mound today, and a little bit in the field. But, offensively, we had a really good day, so I was pretty proud of the guys to just keep doing what you're doing and understand the game."
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
 
Final: Central Washington (15), Eastern Oregon (14)
Records: CWU (9-15), EOU (8-20)
Location: CWU Baseball Field, Ellensburg, Wash.
 

SCORING:
 

• The Wildcats struck first in the bottom of the first inning with six runs off the bats of Ethan Buckley, Conrad Henkel, Jake Lockwood, and Lance Mittelman to take a 6-0 lead.
• Eastern Oregon answered in the second with four runs as Lucas Perez doubled, Jake Sauceda singled for two RBIs, and Perez then scored on an error from the Wildcats to cut the lead to 4-6.
• Central got another run off of Henkel in the bottom of the second, driving in Kellen Berg on a double down the right-field line to make it 7-4.
• Ethan Swenson extended CWU's lead in the fourth with a sacrifice flyout to score Buckley and lead 8-4.
• The Mountaineers fought back to cut into the lead in the fifth inning, with Greyson McDaniel hitting leadoff home run, followed by two more runs as EOU made it a one-run game at 8-7.
• Buckley kept the score out of reach in the bottom of the fifth with a big double down the left-field line to score Lockwood and Logan Blank to make it 10-7.
• In the seventh inning, the Mounties struck once again with the bases loaded, as Andrew Demianew hit the ball into deep center field that rested at the wall and drove in all runners on a triple that tied the game at 10-10.
• EOU kept its offense moving in the eighth starting with a bases-loaded walk to take an 11-10 lead. Then, Brayden Macy hit a two-RBI single to make it a 13-10 lead, followed by a wild pitch that allowed Tucker Zander to score from third base.
• However, the Wildcats wouldn't give up their fight and answered in the bottom of the eighth in a big way as Henkel launched an opposite-side two-run shot, followed by an RBI single from Blank to cut the lead to one with EOU leading 14-13.
• Enter the bottom of the ninth. The Wildcats got a good start with Jonathan Rominger getting hit by a pitch, then Swenson singled, followed by Henkel with a perfectly placed bunt as all runners are safe and the bases are loaded. Then, Max Bledy hits a single up the middle as Rominger scored to tie it up at 14-14, and Swenson looked to do the same but was tagged at the plate, so the game remains tied for Mittelman pinch hitting.
• On a 3-1 pitch, Mittelman gets the whole ball and rips a liner up the middle and Henkel scores to walk off the game and the Wildcat dugout swarms Mittelman the celebrate to victory.

 
HITTING:
 

• The 'Cats were led by Conrad Henkel with four RBIs, four hits, and three runs scored.
• Ethan Buckley and Lance Mittelman each recorded three RBIs and two hits, while Buckley scored two runs.
• Max Bledy logged two RBIs, one hit, and scored two runs.
• Logan Blank, Jake Lockwood, and Ethan Swenson each tallied an RBI, while Blank and Swenson recorded two hits and Swenson scored two runs.
• The Wildcats reached base 27 times by hits and walks.
• The Mountaineers were led by Andrew Demianew with three RBIs and a hit, followed by Jake Sauceda and Brayden Macy with two RBIs and a hit each.
• The Mounties reached base 17 times by hits and walks.

 
PITCHING:
 

• Logan Thompson pitched one inning, allowing four runs, two hits, and striking out one of the nine batters he faced.
• Camdyn Martindale pitched three innings, allowing two runs, three hits, and striking out two of the 13 batters he faced.
• Braeden Fagnant pitched two innings, allowing one run, two hits, while facing nine batters.
• Zachary Reynolds pitched 1.1 innings, allowing five runs, two hits, and striking out one of the 10 batters he faced.
• Kyler Malnar pitched 0.1 innings, allowing two runs, zero hits, and striking out one of the three batters he faced.
• Drake Anderson pitched 1.1 innings, allowing zero runs, two hits, while facing the final six batters.
• Gabe Smitherman pitched 0.2 innings for EOU, allowing six runs, five hits, while facing 10 batters.
• Jayden Butler pitched 1.1 innings for EOU, allowing one run, two hits, while facing - batters.
• Jason Noffsinger pitched one inning for EOU, allowing zero runs, zero hits, while facing four batters.
• Cash Boe pitched one inning for EOU, allowing one run, zero hits, while facing five batters.
• Alex Farnsworth pitched one inning for EOU, allowing two runs, three hits, while facing six batters.
• ALIanson Rey pitched one inning for EOU, allowing zero runs, zero hits, while facing three batters.
• Tyler Harper pitched one inning for EOU, allowing zero runs, zero hits, while facing six batters.
• Keola Yim pitched 0.2 innings for EOU, allowing three runs, two hits, while facing seven batters.
• Nolan Bentley pitched 0.1 innings for EOU, allowing one run, one hit, while facing three batters.
• Joey Weissenfels pitched 0.1 innings for EOU, allowing one run, three hits, while facing three batters.

 
SERIES HISTORY:
 

• Central leads the all-time series 6-3.
• The Wildcats are 5-2 in Ellensburg over the Mountaineers.

 
UP NEXT:
 
The Wildcats remain home this weekend for a four-game series against Northwest Nazarene starting on Friday, March 27. First pitches are scheduled for noon and 3:00 p.m.