ELLENSBURG, Wash. – The Central Washington University baseball team breaks even against GNAC-leading Northwest Nazarene on Saturday afternoon, splitting the final two games of the series 9-12, and 9-8, respectively, at the CWU Baseball Field.
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUPS:
 
Game 1
Final: Central Washington (9), Northwest Nazarene (12)
Records: CWU (10-17, 7-8 GNAC), NNU (23-10, 13-2 GNAC)
 
Game 2
Final: Central Washington (9), Northwest Nazarene (8)
Records: CWU (11-17, 8-8 GNAC), NNU (23-11, 13-3 GNAC)
Location: CWU Baseball Field, Ellensburg, Wash.
 
 
GAME 1:
 
SCORING:
 

• The Nighthawks opened the scoring in a big way with five runs in the second inning highlighted by a two-run homer from Parker Sobiesiak to take a 5-0 lead.
• Central got on the board in the third inning with Kaiden Hernandez on second base when Andre Garza teed off on a 2-0 pitch to left field for a two-run homer, his second of the season, to make it a 2-5 game.
• Later in the third inning with Ethan Swenson on first base, Conrad Henkel launched his fourth dinger of the season for a two-run shot to right field to make it 4-5.
• The Wildcats tied it up in the fifth inning as Swenson got a hard hit to left field and Buckley Scored to make it 5-5
• The Nighthawks then broke the tie in the sixth inning as Liam Herrera doubled to left field as Coleman Parry scored to give NNU a 6-5 lead.
• NNU kept their offense rolling in the seventh with Parry hitting a deep single to drive in Kaleb Karpstein and Kyle Becker as the Nighthawks took an 8-5 lead.
• In the eighth inning, NNU got four more runs to make it 12-5.
• Then, in the ninth, CWU tried to make a comeback attempt, scoring four runs before Northwest Nazarene got the final out, winning the game 12-9.

 
HITTING:
 

• Conrad Henkel led the Wildcats with three RBIs, two hits, and two runs scored.
• Andre Garza and Ethan Swenson each recorded two RBIs, three hits, and two runs scored.
• Kellen Berg and Jonathan Rominger each recorded an RBI and a hit.
• The Wildcats reached base 18 times by hits and walks.
• Five Nighthawks, including Adrian Arechiga, Kyle Becker, Liam Herrera, Coleman Parry, and Parker Sobiesiak, recorded two RBIs each, while Herrera recorded five hits.
• The Nighthawks reached base 21 times by hits and walks.

 
PITCHING:
 

• Kyler Malnar pitched three innings, allowing five runs, five hits, and striking out one of the 16 batters he faced.
• Lance Mittelman pitched 3.1 innings, allowing one run, six hits, and striking out one of the 15 batters he faced.
• Braden Zadow pitched one inning, allowing one run, four hits, while facing seven batters.
• Drake Anderson faced three batters, allowing two runs, and two hits.
• Camdyn Martindale pitched 1.2 innings, allowing zero runs, one hit, while facing five batters.
• Grayden Lucas pitched 2.2 innings for the Nighthawks, allowing four runs, five hits, and striking out two of the 15 batters he faced.
• Tyson Rutherford pitched 1.1 innings for the Nighthawks, allowing zero runs, one hit, and striking out one of the five batters he faced.
• Hayden Crews pitched two innings for the Nighthawks, allowing one run, two hits, and striking out one of the seven batters he faced.
• Gavin Brubaker pitched two innings for the Nighthawks, allowing zero runs, two hits, and striking out three of the 10 batters he faced.
• AJ Hendrickson pitched 0.1 innings for the Nighthawks, allowing four runs, five hits, and striking out one of the seven batters he faced.
• Wade Duncan pitched 0.2 innings for the Nighthawks, allowing zero runs, zero hits, while facing the final two batters.

 
 
GAME 2:
 
SCORING:
 

• The Nighthawks struck first in the first inning with three quick runs to take a 3-0 lead.
• Central answered in the bottom of the first as Kellen Berg hit an RBI single to score Kaiden Hernandez as the Wildcats trailed 1-3.
• NNU got another run in the third inning as Kyle Becker hit a sacrifice flyout and Carter Walsh tagged up and scored to lead 4-1.
• Then, in the bottom of the third, the Wildcat offense came alive with Ethan Swenson hitting a two-run single, followed by Max Bledy hitting an RBI single. Then Kaiden Hernandez got hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and Conrad Henkel scored. Logan Blank then finished off the scoring in the third with a RBI on a fielder's choice to advance the runners and score Bledy as CWU took a 6-4 lead.
• The Nighthawks found a run in the fourth inning when Jackson Burtis' pitch went off the mark and Adrian Arechiga scored on a wild pitch to make it 5-6.
• Then in the sixth, NNU found the equalizer with Parker Sobiesiak singling up the middle to score Liam Herrera, then the Nighthawks scored the go-ahead run off a fielding error from the Wildcats as Sobiesiak scored to make it 7-6.
• Down one run in the bottom of the sixth, the Wildcats found their answer with Blank on first base and Andre Garza at the plate. With a 2-2 pitch, Garza launched a two-run shot over the right-center field fence as CWU took an 8-7 lead.
• The Nighthawks then scored the tying run in the top of the seventh after Garza overthrew the ball to first base and Herrera scored from second base to tie it up at 8-8.
• In the bottom of the seventh, Jake Lockwood and Hernandez opened the inning with back-to-back hit-by-pitches. Then, Andrew Charron walked to load the bases with one out. In walks Garza and on a 1-0 pitch and an opportunity for redemption following his error, he rips a liner down the left-field line that scored Lockwood to walk off the game 9-8 and the Wildcat bench rushes to swarm Garza and celebrate the win.

 
HITTING:
 

• Andre Garza led the Wildcats with three RBIs, three hits, and two runs scored.
• Ethan Swenson hit two RBIs, a hit, and scored a run.
• Kellen Berg, Logan Blank, and Max Bledy each recorded an RBI, while Berg recorded two hits, and Bledy recorded a hit.
• The Wildcats reached base 17 times by hits and walks.
• The Nighthawks were led by Kaleb Karpstein with two RBIs, one hits and a run scored, while four other Nighthawks, Adrian Arechiga, Kyle Becker, Coleman Parry, and Parker Sobiesiak, each recorded an RBI.

 
PITCHING:
 

• Jackson Burtis pitched 5 innings, allowing 5 runs, 6 hits, and striking out 1 of the 24 batters he faced.
• Kellen Berg pitched 2 innings, allowing 3 runs, 3 hits, and striking out 2 of the 12 batters he faced.
• Tyler Stolfich pitched 2.1 innings for the Nighthawks, allowing 4 runs, 7 hits, and striking out 3 of the 15 batters he faced.
• Jakob Rochelle pitched 0.1 innings for the Nighthawks, allowing two runs, two hits, and striking out zero of the five batters he faced.
• Hawk Hill pitched 2.1 innings for the Nighthawks, allowing zero runs, zero hits, and striking out two of the eight batters he faced.
• Hunter Bennett faced one batter for the Nighthawks, allowing one run.
• Wade Duncan pitched one inning for the Nighthawks, allowing one run, two hits, and striking out two of the six batters he faced.
• Hayden Crews pitched 0.1 innings for the Nighthawks, allowing one run, one hit, and striking out one of the five batters he faced.

 
 
SERIES HISTORY:

• Central trails the all-time series 88-103.
• The Wildcats are 55-40 in Ellensburg over the Nighthawks.
• NNU holds a 97-83 conference record over CWU.
   

UP NEXT:

• The Wildcats traverse across the Rocky Mountains for a four-game series against Montana State Billings starting on Friday, April 3. First pitch from Dehler Park in Billings, Mont., is set for noon PDT