TURLOCK -- Cal State Stanislaus saw their first struggles of the season on defense Saturday, committing a total of seven errors in two games, but another healthy dose of solid starting pitching for the Warriors carried them through to their seventh and eighth straight wins by scores of 7-5 and 11-4 over Central Washington at Warrior Field.

After losing their season opener, 3-1, to Sonoma State, the Warriors have wheeled off eight straight wins with two separate four-game sweeps over teams from the Great Northwest Athletic Conference to improve their record to 8-1. This weekend's series was Central Washington's first games of 2009, and with the sweep the Wildcats fall to 0-4.

The Warriors committed five errors in game one, leading to three total unearned runs in the game. Cal State Stanislaus starter Andrew Stueve had a couple of trouble innings but pitched well for the most part, going eight innings and allowing only two earned runs, four total. He struck out four and walked none in getting his second win of the season to move to 2-0. Stueve has not walked a batter this season in 16 2/3 innings pitched.

Offensively, the Warriors took an early 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning on three straight hits and RBI groundouts by Kyle Loretelli and Seth Hudson. Central Washington would get a run in the second to make the score 3-1, but the Warriors' lineup continued to get to Wildcats starter Jake Millbauer, adding on three more runs before knocking him out in the fourth to take a 6-1 lead.

Tyler Warne came in to relieve Millbauer and pitched well, giving up one run on two hits and striking out three in four innings, giving Central Washington a chance to get back in the game. They did just that with two runs in the seventh and another run in the eighth to make the score 7-4. With closer Eric Cendejas on the mound in the ninth the Wildcats got another run to make it 7-5 and brought the tying run to the plate, but Cendejas closed out game one for his first save as a Warrior.

Zach Cadet and Jake Thelen had multiple-hit games for the Warriors in game one. Both players went 2-for-4 with Thelen driving in two runs and Cadet hitting a double. The Warriors outhit Central Washington 10-9. The Wildcats were led offensively by Joe Schuster and Kevin Schneider, who went 2-for-4. Schuster hit two doubles and Schneider had one.

In game two Eric Federico made his second start of the season for the Warriors and although he struggled at times, was able to earn his first win of the year by throwing five innings and giving up six hits, two earned runs and two walks while striking out five. Derek Eaton came in and gave up one run on two hits in two innings of relief to close out the Warriors' 11-4 blowout win.

Jake Oketani had a big day at the plate after sitting game one, going 3-for-3 with five RBIs, three runs scored and a walk. Oketani hit his first homerun of the season in the sixth, a two-run shot to left-center field. AJ Gosney led the Wildcats offensively going 2-for-4 with a run scored.

The Warriors committed two more errors in game two, leading to an unearned run with Federico on the mound. They jumped on Central Washington early again with four runs in the bottom of the first, but Central Washington answered with two runs in the top of the second, but again, the Warrior offense was relentless and knocked Kevin Walkenhauer out of the game after just 2 2/3 innings. He gave up seven runs on seven hits and four walks, striking out one.

The Warriors scored in every inning but the second and fifth, running up the score with 11 hits. Loretelli also went deep in game two, the second of the season and 14th of his career, tying him at 10th all-time on the Cal State Stanislaus career home runs list. Loretelli was 2-for-3 with three runs scored and two RBIs.

The Warriors will continue their homestand next weekend when they begin play in the California Collegiate Athletic Association with a four-game series against Cal Poly Pomona. The first game of the series will be at 2 p.m. Friday, followed by a doubleheader at 11 a.m. Saturday and another single game Sunday at noon.

Game 1
Game 2