ELLENSBURG, Wash. – After pounding out 14 hits in the season opener, the Puget Sound Loggers were limited to just three hits in the nightcap as they split a pair of non-conference baseball games with the Central Washington Wildcats on Saturday in Ellensburg, Wash. The Loggers won the first game by a final of 7-5 before falling, 4-1, in the second game.

In the first game, the Wildcats struck first with a pair of runs on three hits in the bottom of the second but the Loggers got on the board in the top of the third when sophomore Matt Cox (Salem, Ore./South Salem) singled to second base to score senior Jarvis Nohara (Honolulu, Hawai'i/Iolani) to put the score at 2-1 in favor of CWU.

After holding the 'Cats scoreless in the bottom of the third, the Loggers took control in the top of the fourth. Junior Dakota Renick (Bellevue, Wash./Newport) doubled down the left field line to score sophomore Casey Coberly (Boise, Idaho) to tie the game at 2-2. The Loggers took the lead on a Central Washington fielding error with two outs that allowed Travis Hernandez (Burlington, Wash./Burlington-Edison) and Resnik to both score as the Logger took a 4-2 lead into the bottom of the fourth.

After Central score on run in the bottom of the fourth, the Loggers added another run in the top of the fifth when Resnik was plunked by a pitch with bases-loaded to score Cox and give Puget Sound a 5-3 lead. CWU tightened the gap in the bottom of the sixth on a home run by Brett Bielec. The Wildcats then tied the game on a solo home run in the bottom of the eighth by Eric Sorensen.

With just one frame left to play, the Loggers didn't waste any time in the top of the ninth as Cox hit his first home run of the year to give Puget Sound a one run lead and Devin Black (Evergreen, Colo.) followed Cox's bomb with a home run of his own to give the Loggers the two run lead. Freshman closer Matt Robinson (Lafayette, Calif./Campolindo) got out of the ninth with no trouble as he earned the first win of his collegiate career as the Loggers won the season opener, 7-5.

Puget Sound pounded out 14 hits in the opening game to collect the win. Cox was the star for the Loggers in game one, going four-of-five from the plate with two runs scored and two RBIs. Robinson pitched the final one and two-third innings to collect the win, allowing no runs and no hits with two strikeouts and a walk.

In the second game, it looked like the Loggers might be able to keep the offensive attack going as senior Mark Rockey (Mountlake Terrace, Wash./University of New Mexico) hit a solo home run to right field but the Wildcats answered back with three runs in the bottom of the first and the Loggers struggled to find hits the rest of the game.

After Central Washington scored one more run in the bottom of the fifth, the Loggers had one last opportunity in the top of the sixth inning as they used patience at the plate to earn three walks to load the bases but the Wildcats hurlers were able to pitch their way out of the jam as Central Washington collected the 4-1 win in seven innings.

Junior Cameron Duvall (Lakewood, Wash./Lakes) was saddled with the loss for the Loggers, allowing four runs on 10 hits in five and one-third innings with three strikeouts and two walks. Nohara, Rockey and Jason Powell (Redwood City, Calif./Sacred Heart Prep) each had a hit for the Loggers in the nightcap.

The Loggers and Wildcats will conclude their four-game series on Sunday with a doubleheader beginning at 11:00 a.m. at CWU Baseball Field in Ellensburg, Wash.