Baseball | 3/1/2009 3:24:24 PM

Box Score [Box score]

ELLENSBURG, Wash. - The Western Oregon University baseball team lost 7-1 to Central Washington in the final game of the CWU Invitational, Sunday, Mar. 1.

Chris Jackson pitched a complete game for the Wildcats giving up nine hits and one run while striking out five and walking just one.

The loss evened the Wolves record at 6-6 on the season as the Wildcats improved to 3-8. Central Washington went 4-0 in the CWU Invitational while Western Oregon was 2-2 with both losses coming against Central.

The Wildcats would score their seven runs on three sacrifice hits, three RBI singles and a steal of home. CWU scored its first run in the first inning on a sac bunt, added another in the third on a sac fly. The Wildcats would extend their lead to 5-0 in the bottom of the fourth with four hits a walk, and a steal of home to go along with a WOU error.

The Wolves' only run came in the sixth as Trevor Coursey hit a sac fly scoring Justin Speer which had singled earlier in the inning.

"We have to be better to compete against the teams in the (Great Northwest Athletic Conference)," said Western Oregon head coach Jeremiah Robbins. "We have to hit better, we have to pitch better and I have to prepare my team better. We will get back to work these next couple days and learn how to finish a ball game."

First baseman Thomas McCarthy led Western Oregon at the plate as he went 3-for-4. Eric Renander was the only other WOU player to collect a multi-hit game as he went 2-for-4 with a double.

Chad Lynch (0-2) started the game for the Wolves, lasting 3.1 innings while giving up eight hits and five runs (four earned). Kirk Lind took over for Lynch with one out in the bottom of the fourth and went four innings striking out five while allowing six hits and two runs (one earned).

"We want to go 3-1 every weekend," explained Robbins. "We need to be a better team next time out, and we will do that."

The Western Oregon baseball team will now return to Monmouth, Ore, as it prepares for its first home game of the season Wednesday, Mar. 11, at 2:00 p.m., against Lewis and Clark.

Score by Innings R H E
-------------------------------------------
Western Oregon...... 000 001 000 - 1 9 2
Central Washington.. 101 310 01X - 7 14 2
-------------------------------------------

E - Breda(1); Boyd(2); Schneider(1); Slesk(1). DP - Wildcats 1. LOB - Wolves
9; Wildcats 11. 2B - Renander(1); Wallen(1); Murillo(1). HBP - Murillo. SH -
Fox(3); Walkenhauer(3); Donangelo(2); McKinney(2). SF - Coursey(1);
Donangelo(2); Schuster(1). SB - Gosney(4); Slesk(1); Myers(3). CS -
Schneider(1).

Western Oregon IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP
--------------------------------------------------
Lynch,Chad.......... 3.1 8 5 4 1 2 14 19 70
Lind,Kirk........... 4.0 6 2 1 1 5 17 19 71
Cusick,Mike......... 0.2 0 0 0 2 1 1 4 19

Central Washington IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP
--------------------------------------------------
Jackson,Chris....... 9.0 9 1 1 1 5 34 37 111

Win - Jackson (1-2). Loss - Lynch (0-2). Save - None.