TURLOCK, Calif.---  Stan State saw its rally from a 7-2 deficit fall short in its series finale in this weekend's four-game series with Central Washington.  The Warriors scored three runs in their half of the eighth but were shut down in the ninth as the Wildcats took this afternoon's game 7-5 at Warrior Field in Turlock.  With the CWU victory, the two teams split the four-game series.  Stan State (4-4-1) won the first two games, and the Wildcats took the final two games.
 
Central Washington (4-6) took a 2-0 lead in its half of the second inning.  The Wildcats scored both runs with two outs with the second run coming on a Kevin Varner Jr. infield single.  
 
Ryan Leonesio's two-out solo home run over the left field fence cut the Warrior deficit to 2-1 in the bottom of the second inning.  
 
The Wildcats took a 6-1 lead with a four-run third inning capped by a two-out two-run home run by Jake Madson.  
 
Jacob Baker's solo home run with one-out in the bottom of the fourth to cut CWU's lead to 6-2.  The visitors added an insurance run in the top of the fifth inning to take a 7-2 lead in the four and a third innings.  
 
Stan State made it interesting in its half of the eighth inning.  Alex Solis had a lead-off double and went to third on a pinch-hit one-out single by Jonluke Goldman who was pinch ran for by Cooper Winton.  With the count 2-2, Tyler Van Dyk hit a two-run single up the middle to cut the CWU lead to 7-4.  Luke Davies came in to pinch run for Van Dyk.  With two outs, Mac Cabero singled Davies to second base.  On the second pitch he saw, Chris Catalano singled through the left side to bring home Davies with the Warriors' fifth run of the game.  CWU's Daniel Charron induced the next Warrior to pop out to shortstop to end the eighth. 
 
Charron retired the Warriors to preserve the Wildcat 7-5 series finale victory.  With the loss, Stan State split the weekend series 2-2. 
 
WARRIOR HITTERS:  Stan State had 15 in the series finale with four Warriors with multiple-hit games.  Alex Solis was three-for-five with a run scored and his fifth double of the season.  Tyler Van Dyk was two-for-four with two runs batted in for the hosts.  Robert Valdivia and Kyle Rachels each went two-for-five for the Warriors.  
 
STAN STATE PITCHERS:  Noel Chelberg (0-1) suffered the loss for the Warriors.  Kody Cardoza, Michael Moreno, JoJo Keldsen, Caleb Bertoncini, and Austin Balentine pitched the final six innings, giving up four hits and one unearned run and striking out four (two each by Moreno and Bertoncini).  
 
UP NEXT:  Stan State finishes off its seasons' long 14-game home stand with a four-game CCAA series this weekend against Cal State Dominguez Hills.  The two teams will play a 6pm scheduled series opener on Friday.  They will continue the series with a 1pm starting doubleheader on Saturday.  The series will conclude with a series finale at noon a week from today.