April 24, 2010
Ellensburg, WA – Luke Abbott launched a three-run home run in the top of the 10th inning to give Saint Martin’s the 11-8 win over Central Washington in the first game of a Great Northwest Athletic Conference doubleheader at the CWU Baseball Field, before falling 6-5 in game two.
Doubles by Kevin Walkenhauer and Kris Henderson would give CWU a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Saint Martin’s countered with two in the top of the second on a single by Andy Cole and a Wildcat error.
The Saints tied it in the third and took the one run lead in the fourth, both runs scoring on fielder’s choice plays.
Cole hit a solo shot to right center in the eighth to make it a 6-5 game in favor of CWU. Central tacked on one more in the bottom of the inning to hold the two run advantage.
In the ninth Travis Jones doubled to center scoring Andrew Elke and Josh Grenier to tie the game. A single by Michael McIver would score Jones to give the Saints the 8-7 lead. But CWU’s Kevin Schneider led off with a solo homerun to tie it and force the extra frames.
With two out and runners on first and second, Abbott sent one over the right field wall for what would be the game-winner as reliever Kaleb Wilson came in and closed things out in the bottom of the 10th for the win.
Jones had three hits in the game while Elke, Abbott, Cody Brooks, McIver, and Cole all had two each.
Abbott homered in the top of the first to give the Saints the early lead in game two. SMU tacked on two more in the third on a single by Elke and a fielder’s choice.
But Central got one back in the bottom of the third and added two more in the fourth to even things up. Grenier singled to right driving in one run and Jones hit a sac fly to put the Saints ahead.
The Wildcats got one back in their half of the inning and then tallied two more in the sixth for the final.
SMU will play its final two road games of the year tomorrow against the Wildcats before returning home for the final two series of the season.