MONMOUTH, Ore. – Western Oregon (29-21, 24-16 GNAC) split their final two regular season games on Senior Day Saturday with Central Washington (27-23, 23-17 GNAC) as the defeated the Wildcats, 6-2, in game one to qualify for the GNAC Baseball Championships next week, but fell in game two, 6-5.
 
GAME ONE – Western Oregon 6, Central Washington 2
After sweeping the Wildcats on Friday, the Wolves fell behind 1-0 in the first and endured a 40-minute delay before resuming play.
 
Western Oregon scored twice in each of the second and third innings to build a three-run cushion. Nathan Etheridge grabbed the lead for WOU with a two-run shot over left-center fence. In the next frame, an error placed two in scoring position for Marcus Madden. His liner into center plated Kyle Vanderkin and Etheridge for a 4-1 lead.
 
In the seventh inning, WOU added a run with a bases-loaded infield single from Cody Poznanski that scored pinch-runner Alex Emerson. CWU answered with a run in the top half of the eighth, but Trevor Podratz sent a screaming base hit to left field in the subsequent half-inning to push Jay Leverett home with the game's final run.
 
Darrien Moran fired a complete game allowing two runs while striking out five to earn his fifth win of the year. The southpaw induced 11 groundouts and 11 flyouts, including two beautiful diving grabs from Forrest Garcia.
 
Pitchers of Record
Win – Darrien Moran (5-3): 9 IP, 9 hits, 2 runs, 5 strikeouts, 113 pitches
Loss – Justin Adams (5-2): 6 IP, 7 hits, 5 runs, 3 earned runs, 3 walks, 3 strikeouts
 
Notables

• Podratz had his RBI single in his final at-bat to extend his hitting streak to 21 games
• Garcia turned a double play from center throwing behind a runner at second base in the top of the fourth.
• The Wolves had nine hits with two coming from Vanderkin.

 
GAME TWO – Central Washington 6, Western Oregon 5
Western Oregon did not have a hit over the first three innings, but Erik Long reached with a walk in the fourth. Podratz doubled when a pop fly to right field swirled in the wind and dropped to the grass. Vanderkin followed with a line drive down the right field line to put the Wolves up 2-0.
 
Central Washington immediately responded with five runs, capped off by a pinch-hit two-run homer off WOU starter Trey Smith to lead by three.
 
Trailing entering the sixth inning, the Wolves loaded the bases with one out and sliced the lead to two with a RBI groundout from Etheridge. With a 3-1 count, Madden tied the game with a two-run double to left-center. WOU stranded two in the frame, including the potential go-ahead run at second base.
 
CWU pushed across the go-ahead tally with a two-out hit through the left side in the seventh inning.
 
Pitchers of Record
Win – Jonathan Dailey (1-0): 1.1 IP, 2 strikeouts
Loss – Gary Steindorf (2-4): 1.2 IP, 2 hits, 1 run, 4 strikeouts
 
Notables

• Podratz closed the regular season with hits in 22 straight games with Vanderkin did so in 12 straight.
• The Wolves are now 2-2 in regular-season finales in Kellen Walker's coaching tenure.
• WOU had five hits compared to 10 from the Wildcats.

 
Up Next
The Wolves will be in action on Thursday, May 12 when they play in the round-robin round of the GNAC Championship. They enter the tournament as the No. 3-seed and will play No. 2 Montana State Billings at 12 noon MT, then top-seed Northwest Nazarene at 3:30 p.m. MT.