ELLENSBURG, Wash. – Swiping both ends of a Great Northwest Athletic Conference twin bill on Friday afternoon, the Central Washington University baseball team beat Montana State University Billings twice at the CWU Baseball Field.
 
The Wildcats (7-7, 5-5 GNAC) ran away with the opener 21-15, before a walk-off single by Michael Peter completed a come-from-behind 7-6 win over the Yellowjackets in the nightcap. MSUB fell to 4-18 on the season and is now 4-10 in conference play with the losses.
 
Tanner Cantwell, Justin Lutz, and Tanner Parker each homered for the 'Jackets, while Tyler McClain hit two homers for the Wildcats and Justin Hampson and Austin Ohland added a long ball each for the hosts.
 
"Game 1 was very offensive, and I really liked the way our offense kept going," said MSUB head coach Derek Waddoups. "It was good to see guys continue to compete, and we kept giving ourselves a chance."
 
Game 1 – Central Washington 21, MSU Billings 15
 
The Wildcats scored in bunches to take the series opener, plating eight runs in the fourth, six in the fifth, and six in the seventh. The Yellowjackets rallied with an eight-run eighth inning, but the deficit had grown too large to overcome by then.
 
Chris Arpan made the score 1-0 in the top of the second with an RBI-single, and MSUB enjoyed the advantage through the top of the fourth inning. Justin Hampson started CWU's biggest frame of the day with a leadoff double in the bottom of the fourth, before hitting a grand slam as the 10th batter of the inning. A three-run home run off the bat of Austin Ohland came in between Hampson's two at-bats and highlighted the inning.
 
The Wildcats made the score 14-1 with six more runs in the fifth, sending 10 more batters to the plate and receiving a two-rum home run off the bat of Tyler McClain.
 
The 'Jackets got two runs back in the sixth and two more in the seventh, but a final high-scoring inning by the Wildcats put the game out of reach. Ohland was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, and McClain followed with a grand slam to make the score 20-5.
 
MSUB's eight-run eighth inning featured a two-run double off the bat of Andrew Schleusner, a three-run double by Daniel Cipriano, and a two-run homer off the bat of Cantwell to cut it to 20-13. MSUB scored two more in the ninth on a two-run single by Will Riley, but Rhyse Frey ended the game with a strikeout on the mound.
 
CWU starter Dillon Larsen earned the win, allowing five runs on five hits with eight strikeouts and three walks in seven innings of work.
 
MSUB used five different pitchers in the game, with starter Connor Redmond allowing eight runs on seven hits with five strikeouts and three walks in four innings of work.
 
Game 2 – Central Washington 7, MSU Billings 6 (7 Innings)
 
With their backs against the wall in the seventh, the Wildcats came to life offensively and snagged the comeback win. Ohland drove in the first run with one out, and Peter ended the game with a bunt single to drive in pinch runner Michael Copeland.


Blake Tritch was MSUB's top pitcher in the game, allowing one hit while striking out two hitters in two shutout innings of relief. Brooks Zimmer started and allowed five runs on six hits with three strikeouts and two walks in 3 2/3 innings, and Tyler Elliott finished the contest with 2/3 innings of relief.
 
After CWU starter Dylan Weese retired the side in order in the top of the first, the Wildcats rewarded him with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning on RBI-singles from Mitch Lesmeister and McClain. Weese wound up allowing five runs on seven hits with two strikeouts and a walk in five innings of work.
 
A sacrifice fly off the bat of Brandon Koszuth and an error by CWU helped MSUB pull even in the top of the second inning, before Lesmeister came through again with a two-run single in the bottom of the frame to make it a 4-2 ballgame.
 
Cantwell pulled MSUB within one with a two-run single in the third inning, and the score stayed at 5-4 in favor of the hosts until Lutz's solo home run with one out in the top of the fifth. Parker's solo blast followed to put the 'Jackets ahead 6-5 in the sixth, and Elliott came out of the bullpen to strand the tying run at second base in the bottom of the inning.
 
Cantwell finished the game 3-for-4 and Sam Powers went 3-for-3 to lead MSUB at the plate.
 
THE BUZZ: Cantwell was picked as the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Day.
 
COMING UP: The series concludes on Saturday with an 11 a.m. doubleheader at the CWU Baseball Field. Live video will be available online here and live statistics will be available online here.