ELLENSBURG, Wash. – The Central Washington University baseball team had a strong showing in the first game of Friday's doubleheader against Northwest Nazarene, winning 3-2 before falling 1-12 to the offensively loaded Nighthawks to split day one of the four-game series between the two teams at the CWU Baseball Field.
 

INSIDE THE MATCHUPS:
 
Game 1
Final: Central Washington (3), Northwest Nazarene (2)
Records: CWU (10-15, 7-6 GNAC), NNU (21-10, 11-2 GNAC)
 
Game 2
Final: Central Washington (1), Northwest Nazarene (12)
Records: CWU (10-16, 7-7 GNAC), NNU (22-10, 12-2 GNAC)
Location: CWU Baseball Field, Ellensburg, Wash.
 

GAME 1:
 
SCORING:
 

• The Wildcats struck first in the first inning when Ethan Buckley singled, while a fielding error from NNU allowed Logan Blank to score and give CWU a 1-0 lead.
• Central continued their scoring ways in the second inning when Sinclair Lee hit into a double-play, allowing Conrad Henkel to score from third base and take a 2-0 lead.
• The Nighthawks answered in the third inning with a pair of runs to tie the game at 2-2.
• In the fifth inning, the 'Cats found the tie-breaking run when Lee doubled down the left-field line to drive in Max Bledy for the 3-2 lead, which CWU would hang onto with Bledy getting a throw to Buckley at home to tag out the tying run in the final out to win the game 3-2.

 
HITTING:
 

• Sinclair Lee led the Wildcats with two RBIs and one hit.
• Logan Blank, Max Bledy, and Kaiden Hernandez each recorded two hits, while Blank and Bledy both scored a run.
• Ethan Buckley and Conrad Henkel recorded a hit each, while Henkel scored a run.
• The Wildcats reached base 11 times by hits and walks.
• The Nighthawks were led by Liam Herrera with one RBI, three hits, and a run scored.
• Parker Sobiesiak recorded an RBI and a walk.
• Caleb Boswell and Kaleb Karpstein each recorded two hits while Boswell scored a run.
• Kyle Becker, Jake Mestas, and Carter Walsh recorded a hit each.
• The Nighthawks reached base 12 times by hits and walks.

 
PITCHING:
 

• Austin Cupic pitched 5.1 innings, allowing two runs, seven hits, and striking out two of the 22 batters he faced.
• Braden Zadow pitched three innings, allowing zero runs, three hits, and striking out one of the 13 batters he faced.
• Kellen Berg pitched 0.2 innings, allowing zero runs, zero hits, while facing one batter.
• Dillon Eden pitched 4.1 innings for the Nighthawks, allowing three runs, seven hits, and striking out two of the 19 batters he faced.
• Hunter Bennett pitched 0.2 innings for the Nighthawks, allowing zero runs, two hits, while facing one batter.
• Tyson Rutherford pitched two innings for the Nighthawks, allowing zero runs, two hits, and striking out one of the 10 batters he faced.
• Hawk Hill pitched one inning for the Nighthawks, allowing zero runs, zero hits, and striking out one of the four batters he faced.

 

GAME 2:
 
SCORING:
 

• The Nighthawks opened the scoring in game two with three runs in the second inning to take the early 3-0 lead.
• NNU extended the lead in the third as Kyle Becker hit a solo home run to make it a 4-0 lead.
• The home runs continued for the Nighthawks in the fourth inning when Carter Walsh hit a two-run shot to left field to extend the lead to 6-0.
• The scoring kept on coming in the fifth as Liam Herrera hit an RBI single to make it 7-0, followed by Parker Sobiesiak hitting a three-run dinger to left field to make it a 10-0 run.
• Central answered in the bottom of the fifth with Ethan Buckley hitting an RBI single to drive in Andrew Charron and the Wildcats got on the board to trail 1-10.
• Becker found another perfect pitch in the sixth inning, sending his second home run of the game over the right field fence to make it 11-1 for NNU.
• Northwest Nazarene closed out the sixth with an RBI single from Tate Lewis to finish off the game, winning 12-1.

 
HITTING:
 

• Ethan Buckley led the 'Cats with one RBI and a hit.
• Five other Wildcats recorded a hit each, including Logan Blank, Andrew Charron, Conrad Henkel, Ethan Swenson, and Jonathan Rominger.
• The Wildcats reached base eight times by hits and walks.
• Parker Sobiesiak led the Nighthawks with four RBIs, one hit, and two runs scored.
• Three other NNU players including Kyle Becker, Liam Herrera, and Carter Walsh each recorded two RBIs, while Becker recorded three hits.
• Gavin Brubaker led in hitting with four total hits while scoring three runs.
• The Nighthawks reached base 18 times by hits and walks.

 
PITCHING:
 

• Garet Hagy pitched 3.2 innings, allowing six runs, six hits, and striking out two of the 20 batters he faced.
• Kaden Haffner pitched one inning, allowing four runs, three hits, and striking out two of the eight batters he faced.
• Braeden Fagnant pitched 0.2 innings, allowing one run, two hits, and striking out two of the five batters he faced.
• Jacob Nadeau pitched 1.2 innings, allowing zero runs, one hit, and striking out one of the seven batters he faced.
• Corbin Talley pitched six innings for the Nighthawks, allowing one run, five hits, and striking out nine of the 26 batters he faced.
• AJ Hendrickson pitched one inning for the Nighthawks, allowing zero runs, one hit, while facing five batters.

 

SERIES HISTORY:

• Central trails the all-time series 87-102.
• The Wildcats are 54-39 in Ellensburg over the Nighthawks.
• NNU holds a 96-82 conference record over CWU.
   

UP NEXT:
The Wildcats and Nighthawks return to the CWU Baseball Field for one more doubleheader tomorrow. First pitches are scheduled for noon and 3:00 p.m.