BOX SCORES – GAME #1 | GAME #2

ELLENSBURG, Wash. – Senior Colby Sokol went a combined 6-for-10 with three runs scored and four runs batted in, as Corban's baseball team split an afternoon double header with Central Washington, 4-6 & 10-8 in eight innings, Friday at CWU Baseball Field.

With today's result, Corban moves to 22-15 overall and Central Washington goes to 13-19 on the season.

Along with Sokol's offensive performance, fellow senior Steven Blum was 4-for-8 with one run scored and a pair of RBI. Six other Warriors – senior Cody Atkinson, sophomore Lance Foster, sophomore Gregg Romero, freshman Tyler Atkinson, freshman Marc Gallegos, and freshman Jordan Johansen – each collected two hits in the double header split with the NCAA Division II Wildcats.

GAME #1 – CENTRAL WASHINGTON 6, CORBAN 4

In the opener, Central Washington got on the board early in the bottom of the first inning when Brett Bielec led off with a double down the right field line before Brandon Webb tripled home Bielec for an early 1-0 lead for the host Wildcats. CWU's Derrick Webb would register the Wildcats' third straight hit to bring home Webb and give the home team an early 2-0 lead.

Central Washington would add another run in the bottom of the second inning when Bielec was hit by a pitch with two outs before stealing second and coming home on Wang's single down the right field line for a three-run Wildcat lead (3-0).

In the top of the third inning, Corban would finally get on the scoreboard when senior Kyle Kunkel was hit by a pitch with one out before swiping second and moving to third on a ground out by Gallegos. The Warriors' very next batter – Romero – would bring Kunkel home on a single to center field to cut Corban's deficit to two runs (3-1) before being thrown out at second to end the inning.

Corban would pull within a single run (3-2) in the top of the fifth inning when Atkinson belted his second home run of the season over the left field fence to lead off the at-bat.

Neither team would score again until the bottom of the seventh inning when Central Washington put three runs on the board with one swing of the bat, as Kyle Sani crushed a three-run home run over the left field fence to extend the Wildcats' lead to four runs (6-2).

Corban would tack another run on the board in the top of the eighth inning when Blum ripped a triple to center field allowing Romero to score after he reached on a CWU error to lead off the at-bat making the score 6-3 in favor of the home team.

In the top of the ninth inning, Corban would add its fourth and final run of the game when Foster registered a one-out, pinch-hit single to center field before moving to second on a walk and coming home on a Gallegos double to right field for the final score of 6-4.

Sokol and Blum would lead the Warriors' offense with two hits each, while sophomore starter Justin White suffered to loss allowing three earned runs on six hits in six innings of work before turning the ball over to juniors David Hull and Caleb Virtue for the final six outs.

Central Washington was led offensively by four Wildcats that had two hits each, while Brandon Rohde picked up the win allowing two earned runs on four hits in 5.0 innings of work before four CWU relievers combined to allow two runs (one earned) on five hits in four innings of work.

GAME #2 – CORBAN 10, CENTRAL WASHINGTON 8 (8 INNINGS)

In the finale, Corban would put the first two runs on the board in its opening at-bat via a two-run home run by Sokol that also scored Gallegos for a 2-0 lead for the visiting Warriors.

Central Washington would tie the score at 2-2 in the bottom of the first inning via a RBI single by Sani before David Leid brought home Webb on a bases loaded ground out.

Corban would add three more runs to its total in the top of the second inning thanks to a two-run double to left field by Romero before Sokol drove in his third RBI of the game on a double to left center that score Romero to give the Warriors a three-run lead (5-2).

The host Wildcats would tie the game for the second time in the bottom of the third inning when Sani, Glen Reser, and Jimmy Ryerson all registered run-scoring singles up the middle to tie the game at 5-5.

In the top of the fourth inning, Corban would put three more runs on the scoreboard thanks to a run-scoring double by Sokol along with a sacrifice fly by the elder Atkinson and a RBI single through the left side by Foster for an 8-5 Warrior lead.

Central Washington would slowly cut into Corban's lead over the next three innings, as the host Wildcats put single runs on the board in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings with the game-tying run coming off the bat of Reser on a ground out in the bottom of the sixth inning that knotted the game at 8-all.

Neither team would score in the seventh inning forcing the game into extra frames, as Corban plated two runs in the top of the eighth inning on a game-winning RBI double by the elder Atkinson before Blum added an insurance run for the Warriors on a run-scoring single for a two-run Corban lead (10-8).

Central Washington would put one runner on the base paths in the bottom of the eighth inning via a walk before Corban's defense shut down the Wildcats' offense en route to securing the extra inning victory.

Sokol went 4-for-5 with three runs scored and four RBI for Corban, while three other Warriors – the elder Atkinson, Blum, and Johansen – had two hits each. Junior starter Jacob Kopra earned a no-decision allowing five earned runs on six hits in three innings of work before sophomore Ryan Rodriguez pitched the final 5.0 innings allowing three earned runs on five hits en route to picking up the victory.

Sani and Chris Hashimoto each collected two hits for Central Washington, while starter Randy Button went the opening 3.2 innings allowing eight earned runs on 10 hits before allowing four Wildcat relievers to pitch the final 4.1 innings with Drew Davidson allowing two earned runs on two hits in three innings of work en route to suffering the heart-breaking loss.

These same two teams will return to action tomorrow – Saturday, April 14th – in a late-morning double header beginning at 11:00 a.m. on CWU's Baseball Field in Ellensburg, Washington.