In their first weekend of GNAC conference play, the CWU baseball team came away with just one win from a four game home series against Northwest Nazarene University (NNU).

CWU (7-12) started the weekend with a 14-9 victory over the Nighthawks (11-9) on Friday, March 4 at the CWU baseball field. NNU held a 2-1 lead at the end of the second inning, but big offensive innings in the third and sixth innings, respectively, helped CWU pull away and take the win.

The Wildcats totaled four home runs in the game, two of which came from sophomore catcher Austin Ohland, who also had four RBIs.

In the second game of Friday afternoon, the Wildcats lost 6-5 to the Nighthawks. NNU again were the ones to open the scoring. They then scored five runs in the fourth inning. CWU was able to pick up offensive production and score three runs in the fifth inning, but it wasn’t enough to overtake NNU’s lead.

Ohland contributed another home run and four RBIs, totaling three home runs and eight RBIs on the day for the Wildcats.

The following day, Saturday, March 5, NNU again came out on top in a close game with a final score of 13-10. Scoring was back and forth throughout the game, but NNU held CWU scoreless in the seventh and eighth innings to help seal the win.

Junior outfielder Adam Fahsel led the Wildcats in scoring with three runs and two RBIs off two hits. Ohland again was an offensive contributor for CWU with a run scored and two RBIs from two hits.

The Wildcats fell again to NNU in the final game of the series on Saturday afternoon with a 11-4 loss. The Wildcats only had a few less hits than the Nighthawks in the game but the NNU defense didn’t allow CWU to score until the fourth inning.

Fahsel had two hits and an RBI for CWU, while freshman catcher/pitcher Gabe Bustamante and freshman pitcher/first baseman Drew Richardson each contributed two hits and one run.

CWU will play next in Monmouth, Oregon in an away series against Western Oregon University starting on Saturday, March 12.