ELLENSBURG, Wash. - Combining for 35 hits in the first game and just seven in the nightcap, the Puget Sound Loggers and Central Washington Wildcats split a non-conference baseball doubleheader on Sunday in Ellensburg, Wash.  The Loggers won the first game by a final of 12-11 before falling in a shortened second game, 9-6.

In the opener, the Loggers got on the scoreboard in the first frame as Matt Cox (Salem, Ore./South Salem) doubled to center field to score Jarvis Nohara (Honolulu, Hawaii/Iolani).  Puget Sound made it 5-0 in the second inning, using a pair of two-RBI singles from Doug Cox (Kailua, Hawai'i/Kalaheo) and Dakota Resnik (Bellevue, Wash./Newport).

The wheels looked to come off for the Wildcats in the top of the fourth as the Loggers exploded for six runs to push the lead to 11-0.  Nohara scored again for the Loggers in the top of the fifth as it looked like they would cruise to the easy victory, up 12-0 halfway through the nine-inning contest.  

The Wildcat bats finally woke up in the bottom of the fifth as they scored two runs to get within 10.  Just like the Loggers had a big inning in the fourth, the Wildcats couldn't be stopped in the bottom of the seventh, scoring seven runs to pull back within three runs at 12-9.  CWU put forth one final effort in the bottom of the ninth but their rally fell short as the Loggers improved to 2-1 on the young season with the 12-11 win.

Taylor Volz (Portland, Ore./Grant) earned the win, allowing two runs on 11 hits in six innings pitched.  Freshman Matt Robinson (Lafayette, Calif./Campolindo) got the first save of his collegiate career, allowing two runs, one earned, on three hits in two and two-third innings with four strikeouts and just one walk.

In the nightcap, the Wildcats struck first as Brett Bielec scored on a balk by Logger starter James Lane (Silverdale, Wash./Central Kitsap).  The Loggers then took advantage of two CWU errors in the top of the second to put four runs on the board, including a two RBI single by Nohara that scored Chaz Kramer (Boulder, Colo./Silver Creek) and Doug Cox.

Central got back within a run on a two-run home run by Chance Plutt in the bottom of the second but the Loggers would again take advantage of CWU miscues, scoring two runs on three Wildcat errors in the top of the fourth to extend the lead to 6-3.

The Wildcats got back within one runs in the bottom of the fourth with another two-run home run by Plutt and after the Loggers couldn't find a hit in the top of the fifth, the 'Cats took advantage of two Puget Sound errors to score four runs and darkness would end it before the Loggers would have a chance to recover as the 'Cats collected the 9-6 win to salvage a series split.

Sophomore Alex Baugh (Monroe, Wash.) took the loss for the Loggers despite not allowing a hit in one inning pitched as the Wildcats scored twice with Baugh on the hill.

The Loggers will be back in action on Feb. 26 when they face off against Corban in a neutral-site contest at Linfield College in McMinnville, Ore.