Baseball | 3/29/2013 8:10:00 PM

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

MONMOUTH, Ore. – In the opening two games of an important four-game series, the Western Oregon baseball team split a pair of games against Central Washington, defeating the Wildcats, 6-4, in game one before falling 3-0 in game two. With the split, WOU moves to 16-12 on the season, 11-3 in conference play, while CWU moves to 16-12 overall, 10-4 in league action.

WOU jumped out to a 5-0 lead on the Wildcats in game one and held on for a 6-5 win as Spenser Watkins picked up the win after allowing only two runs on six hits in 6.2 innings of work to move to 5-3 on the season.

The Wolves grabbed an early, 1-0 lead as Chris Bradshaw scored on a sacrifice fly by Blake Miller as Bradshaw would end up leading the Wolves with three hits and two runs in the victory.

After adding a run in the third on a RBI sacrifice bunt by Tim Rausch, WOU would add three runs in the sixth to take a commanding five-run lead. Garrett Harpole got the Wolves started with a lead-off home run to left, his second of the season, to open the scoring as Daniel McNabb and Miller each recorded RBI to give the Wolves a 5-0 lead.

CWU answered with two runs in the seventh to cut the lead to 5-2; however, Scott David would single to score Rausch in the bottom of the inning to extend the lead back to four.

The Wildcats managed a pair of runs in the eight; however, Kody Stone retired CWU in the ninth to record his league-leading ninth save of the season. Stone struck out one CWU batter as he picked up his fourth save in the last five games.

Skye Adams took the loss for CWU and fell to 4-2 on the season after he allowed one run on two hits in 0.1 innings of work as he was forced to leave the game in the first inning due to an injury.

CWU rebounded from the game one loss to pick up the victory in game two as Tyler Roberts tossed a complete game shutout, allowing only two hits while striking out seven as he improved to 2-3 on the season.

Gary Steindorf pitched well for WOU in the loss as he allowed only three runs in five innings of work and fell to 3-3 on the year.

Marc Garza went 3-for-4 with two RBI to lead CWU in the victory while Bradshaw and Josh Solemsaas had the lone WOU hits in the loss.

WOU will conclude the four-game series with the Wildcats on Saturday, March 30, when the teams meet for a doubleheader at 12:00 p.m.