Baseball | 4/6/2014 6:59:00 PM

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

ELLENSBURG, Wash. – The Western Oregon University baseball team split the third and fourth games to complete a series at Central Washington University Sunday. CWU took the weekend series 3-1.
 
The Wolves (20-14, 13-7 Great Northwest Athletic Conference) lost their first conference series this season, after winning the previous four 3-1.  WOU remained in first place in the conference standings despite the three losses, but Northwest Nazarene and Central Washington are close behind.
 
Matt Taylor led Western Oregon at the plate Sunday. He went 5-for-9 with a double and three RBI. Chris Bradshaw had four hits in his nine at-bats. He scored four times and was walked once. Parker Miles also had a four hit day.
 
Eric Huson (5-0) remained unbeaten on the mound this season with his Game 3 win. He threw the first 6.2 innings, allowing three earned runs on seven hits. Huson scattered three strikeouts and three walks. Kurtis Pitcher (1-2) struck out eight Wolves.
 
Five of WOU's six extra-base hits were doubles. After a Daniel McNabb RBI single in the top of the first, Taylor doubled down the right field line that drove in two runs in the second inning. The Wildcats countered with a pair of runs in the third and fourth innings to cut the margin to one.
 
Nathan Etheridge's second home run of the season scored two runs in the sixth. A Garret Harpole RBI double increased the WOU lead to 6-2 in the top of the seventh. The Wildcats answered with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the inning.
 
Western Oregon tacked on five runs in the ninth inning, courtesy of RBI singles from Austin Hamilton and Taylor. Bradshaw also had a two-RBI double through the right side. CWU threatened with three runs in the bottom of the ninth.
 
The Wolves left six runners on base in the fourth game, and after they took advantage of Central Washington's five errors in the third game, they fell in the last game despite the Wildcats' three errors.
 
Central Washington (18-13, 11-9 GNAC) took the lead with a run in the third inning, but Tim Rausch hit an RBI double to right field to even the score in the fourth. The Wildcats scored four runs over the fourth and fifth innings, and then held off a WOU rally.
 
Clark McKitrick (3-1) lost his first decision of the season. He struck out two batters and had five walks through three innings of work.  McKitrick allowed two earned runs on one hit. Willie Davies (2-0) gave up one hit on six hits in the win for CWU. Cory Welch grabbed a save after throwing the last two innings.
 
Western Oregon stays on the road and travels to Billings, Mont., for a pair of doubleheaders at Montana State Billings Friday and Saturday. Live stats will be available on WOUWolves.com.
 

Western Oregon 12, Central Washington 7 (Apr 06, 2014 at Ellensburg, WA) (Game 1)
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Western Oregon...... 120 002 106  - 12 15  1      (20-13, 13-6 GNAC)
Central Washington.. 001 100 203  -  7 11  5      (17-13, 10-9 GNAC)
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Pitchers: Western Oregon - Huson,Eric; Tokunaga,Chase(7); Kayser,Zach(8); Stone,Kody(9) and
Sherwin,Michael. Central Washington - Pitcher; Amundson(6); Engel(6); Levin(9) and Reay.
Win-Huson,Eric(5-0)  Loss-Pitcher(1-2)  T-2:56  A-0
HR WOU - Etheridge,Nathan.
HR CWU - Bielec (5).

Central Washington 6, Western Oregon 4 (Apr 06, 2014 at Ellensburg, WA) (Game 2)
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Western Oregon...... 000 103 0 -  4  8  2      (20-14, 13-7 GNAC)
Central Washington.. 001 221 X -  6  5  3      (18-13, 11-9 GNAC)
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Pitchers: Western Oregon - McKitrick,Clark; Pratt,Jesse(4); Hetrick,Taylor(4);
Storedahl,Jacob(5); Kayser,Zach(6); Trautmann,Spencer(6) and Chavarria,Will; Sherwin,Michael.
Central Washington - Davies; Welch(6) and White.
Win-Davies(2-0)  Save-Welch(6)  Loss-McKitrick,Clark(3-1)  T-2:24  A-190
McKitrick faced 1 batter in the 4th.
Pratt faced 3 batters in the 4th.
Hetrick faced 3 batters in the 5th.
Davies faced 2 batters in the 6th.