MONMOUTH, Ore. – Behind a combined 5-for-7 at the plate with seven runs batted in by senior Garret Harpole, Western Oregon University's baseball team took this weekend's Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) series against preseason favorite Central Washington University with a sweep on Sunday, 17-6 & 5-3, at the WOU Baseball Field.

"We came out today and were able to be quality with our approach at the plate, got two quality outings on the mound, and did a pretty good job competing very well today against a very good Central Washington team," said Head Coach Kellen Walker.

For the second time this season, Western Oregon (10-14, 6-2 GNAC) put 17 runs on the board in a single game as the Wolves also scored the same amount earlier this season against Point Loma Nazarene. Today's single-game output in Game #1 was the most that WOU had scored in GNAC play since a 19-7 victory over Northwest Nazarene last April in Nampa, Idaho.

When asked about his team's offensive performance today, Walker said, "I think that guys just committed to their plan in the batter's box, trusting that, and even if you don't get immediately results not wavering from what we are trying to do at bat-to-at bat. Guys really tried to do that approach today and were reward by that."

Along with Harpole, junior Cody Sullivan was 4-for-8 with four other Wolves – senior Austin Hamilton, senior Matt Taylor, junior Nathan Etheridge, and junior Cody Poznanski – registering three hits each in the two victories. Hamilton and Poznanski combined to drive in nine of the Wolves' 22 runs on the afternoon, as the pair along with Harpole accounted for nearly 73% of Western Oregon's RBIs. The senior trio of Marcus Hinkle, senior Jacob Whisler, and Michael Sherwin rounded out Western Oregon's offense with a hit each in the two games.

After registering seven hits in 14 at-bats over the weekend, Harpole commented about his approach by saying, "I saw the ball really well. We have been working real hard all week in practice and coach had a plan for us and was giving us that plan. We were just really focusing on executing the plan and good things happen."

Junior Garrett Alvarez got the start in Game #1 for the Wolves, as he allowed five earned runs on seven hits to go along with four strikeouts before turning the ball over WOU's bullpen that consisted of juniors Shawn Domke and Gary Steindorf. In the weekend finale, junior Houston Samuel got the ball to start going the first 6.2 innings as he allowed three earned runs on six hits before junior Jacob Storedahl came in and got the final out despite giving up a hit en route to earning his first save of the season.

Central Washington (9-9, 3-5 GNAC) was led offensively by Ryan Atkinson and Darren Honeysett with a combined three hits each, while Atkinson drove in three runs and Zach Reay added a pair of RBI in Game #2. The Wildcats used five pitchers in Game #1, as starter Mitch Yada only faced five batters before giving way to CWU's bullpen. Yada would allow five runs (four earned) on just two hits before turning the ball over the to quartet of Jacob Forrester, Dustin Hamilton, Alhanon Miller, and Austin Greene. Central Washington's bullpen would combine to allow 12 earned runs on 13 hits with a combined four strikeouts. In Game #2, Cory Welch got the start for CWU allowing five runs (three earned) on nine hits in 5.1 innings of action before Travis Cook got the final two outs for the Wildcats.

GAME #1 — WESTERN OREGON 17, CENTRAL WASHINGTON 6

In Sunday's opener, Western Oregon would begin the scoring in the bottom of the first inning when the Wolves tallied eight runs on six hits that included three RBIs by Hamilton as well as two-run hits off the bats of Harpole and Poznanski. The Wolves' other RBI came via a bases loaded walk by Etheridge, as Western Oregon came away with an 8-0 lead after the first inning.

Central Washington would answer back with two runs in the top of the second inning on RBIs by Myles Wesener and Austin Pernell before Western Oregon increased its lead to nine runs (11-3) with three more runs in the bottom of the second inning on a run-scoring double by Harpole and a two-run double by Whisler two batters later.

Neither team would score again until the fourth inning when Central Washington added three runs to its total on a two-run triple by Atkinson before Wesener drove home Atkinson on a ground out to pull within six runs (11-5).

In the bottom of the fourth inning, Western Oregon got two more RBIs from Hamilton on a bases-loaded single to center field that scored Whisler and Poznanski and increased the Wolves' lead to eight runs (13-5).

Western Oregon would added its final four runs after the seventh inning stretch, as Harpole cleared the bases with a three-run triple to right center to put the Wolves ahead 17-5.

Central Washington would added its sixth and final run in the top of the eighth inning when Atkinson registered his third RBI of the game on a single through the left side that scored Kasey Bielec for the final score of 17-6.

Hamilton was a perfect 3-for-3 for the Wolves in the opener with five RBI, while Harpole added three hits as well with six RBI. Taylor, Sullivan, and Poznanski each tallied a pair of hits with Pozananski and Whisler each driving in two runs.

For the Wildcats, Atkinson was a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs batted in to go along with two hits each by Benjamin Dunbar and Jonathan Dailey.

GAME #2 — WESTERN OREGON 5, CENTRAL WASHINGTON 3

In this weekend's finale, Western Oregon scored two unanswered runs in the first and second innings, respectively, on RBIs by Taylor and Poznanski as the Wolves took a quick 2-0 lead after two innings.

Central Washington would answer back with a single run in top of the fourth inning on an infield single by Pernell following a triple to down the right field line by Jeff Beckman to pull the Wildcats within a single run (2-1).

The Wolves quickly answered back in the bottom half of the fourth inning when Etheridge led off with a single through the right side before advancing to second on a wild pitch and then moving to third on a fly out to centerfield by Sullivan. Etheridge would then come home on Poznanski's single to right field resulting in a 3-1 lead for Western Oregon.

Two innings later, Western Oregon added two runs that would eventually become insurance runs as the Wolves got a run-scoring single up the middle from Harpole that scored Sherwin before Harpole came around to score two batters later on a wild pitch that pushed the Wolves' lead to four runs (5-1).

In the top of the seventh inning, Central Washington would load the bases with two outs to end Samuel's day before Reay ripped a two-run single up the middle off Storedahl that pulled the Wildcats within two runs (5-3). Fortunately for Western Oregon, Storedahl would get a game-ending fly out to right field to help the Wolves extend their winning streak to three games as WOU owns an early 2.5 game lead over Northwest Nazarene at the top of the GNAC standings.

For Western Oregon, Etheridge, Harpole, and Sullivan each tallied two hits with Poznanski driving in a pair of runs for the Wolves.

Central Washington was led by Honeysett and Beckman with two hits each, while Reay drove in two of the Wildcats' three runs in the finale.

When reflecting on six wins in his team's first eight GNAC games and how it sets up for the rest of the conference season, Walker commented by saying, "Obviously a long way to go. Each weekend when your playing four games in two days, it's an absolute battle but a good start to win the first two series and then have a good Montana State Billings team coming into town on Friday."

Western Oregon will return to action on Friday, March 13, when the Wolves host Montana State Billings in an afternoon double header beginning at 1 p.m. at the WOU Baseball Field in Monmouth.