BILLINGS, Mont. – Bringing the 2021 regular season to a close on Saturday night at Dehler Park, visiting Central Washington University swept both ends of a Great Northwest Athletic Conference doubleheader against the Montana State University Billings baseball team.
The Wildcats (13-11, 11-9 GNAC) officially clinched the third and final spot into the GNAC Championships with a 12-9 win in Game 1 on Saturday, before completing the sweep with a 3-1 triumph in the nightcap.
The Yellowjackets finished the season with a record of 10-30 overall and went 10-22 in conference play to take fourth place among the five teams.
Daniel Cipriano hit the 39th home run of his illustrious career, finishing as the program's all-time leader and No. 2 in GNAC history in long balls.
Andrew Schleusner added the 13th home run of his career, as the longest-tenured Yellowjacket played for the final time on Saturday as well.
Game 1 – Central Washington 12, MSU Billings 9
The Wildcats jumped ahead with a four-run third inning, and continued to add on for the rest of the ballgame to clinch a playoff spot with the win.
Austin Ohland had an RBI-double in the first, before an RBI-single off the bat of
Chris Arpan in the bottom of the second evened the score at 1-1. Mitch Lesmeister, who played a stellar defensive third base throughout the doubleheader, had a two-run single to highlight the big third inning, and the 'Cats never looked back after that.
MSUB made it interesting late in the game, scoring three times in the eighth highlighted by Schleusner's two-run home run to right field.
Four different MSUB seniors had RBIs in the bottom of the ninth, before CWU's Josh Touhey recorded the final out with the tying run at the plate.
Lesmeister went 2-for-5 with four RBIs, while Ohland was 3-for-4 with three RBIs in the opener for the Wildcats. CWU starter Beau Kearsey allowed two runs on four hits with four strikeouts and two walks in four innings of work, and Ryan Marstiller collected the win with 3 2/3 strong innings of relief.
MSUB starter
Dylan Barkley gave up five runs on three hits with one strikeout and three walks in his two innings on the mound.
Mason Powell contributed a health five innings out of the 'pen, giving up four runs on five hits with a pair of strikeouts and one walk.
Braelen Pippin finished the game for MSUB, with three runs allowed on three hits in two innings with four strikeouts.
Game 2 – Central Washington 3, MSU Billings 1 (7 Innings)
Cipriano's fourth-inning solo home run to left field proved to be the only run scored by the Yellowjackets, as Reid Rasmussen and Riley Wingerson combined to throw a three-hitter in the series finale.
After Cipriano's home run – which broke up the no-hit bid in the fourth inning – put the Yellowjackets ahead, CWU responded immediately with a three-run top of the fifth which proved to be the pivotal inning in the game.
Jake Engel had an RBI-single, before a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly off the bat of Lesmeister gave the 'Cats all the offense they needed to win the game.
The Yellowjackets brought the winning run to the plate with one out in the bottom of the seventh, but Wingerson struck out Cipriano and
Tanner Cantwell in succession to end the game and salvage the series split for CWU.
In his final-career appearance, MSUB starter
Mason Abrath gave up three runs on six hits with four strikeouts and one walk in 4 1/3 innings pitched. Cantwell finished the game on the mound, striking out four and allowing one walk in 2 2/3 no-hit, shutout innings of relief.
Rasmussen earned his third win of the year with one run and one hit allowed while walking six and striking out three in his five innings, before Wingerson struck out five and gave up two hits in the final two frames of the series.
THE BUZZ: Schleusner was named the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Day…he finished his career with 104 RBIs, ranking him sixth in school history…Riley finished the season with a .401 batting average, which was the third-highest single-season average in MSUB history…Cipriano finished his career with 128 RBIs, ranking him second in program history…CWU won the season series between the teams 5-3.
