The Kansas Wesleyan Baseball team knew it was a big series heading into the weekend series with the No. 21 ranked Oklahoma Wesleyan Eagles at Dean Evans Stadium.
The Coyotes got two big wins in Saturday's doubleheader, winning the first game 6-3 and the second 3-1 to claim the series win over the Eagles.
KWU head coach Bill Neale also picked up his 300th career win at KWU with the two wins, the first coach in program history to pass the plateau. Neale collected his 300th win overall earlier this season.
The victories put the Coyotes up three games in the conference standings, with a 28-4 record, while both Oklahoma Wesleyan and Tabor sport 25-7 KCAC records.
The Coyotes broke through in the bottom of the second as Tyler Favretto led off the inning with a single and then courtesy runner Coulson Riggs scored on Reece Bishop's single back through the middle. Zack Beatty followed with a walk as the Coyotes threatened to add more, but a double play and fly out ended the inning.
OKWU tied it in the top of the third, but the Coyotes reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the inning. Jacob Williamson and Kendall Foster both singled, and Jarrett Gable would step up and hit a monstrous 3-run homer to center field to put the Coyotes up 4-1.
The Eagles got two back in the fourth, but in the bottom of the inning, the Coyotes answered right back. It was another 2-out rally for the Coyotes as Alex Garcia singled and stole second, Williamson and Foster walked to load the bases and again Gable came through with a 2-run single to put the Coyotes up 6-3.
OKWU left the bases loaded in the top of the seventh and two in the eighth without scoring.
KWU's pitching staff combined to hold OKWU to just four hits in the game, as Jarrett Brannen improved to 9-1 on the season allowing three runs on four hits going six innings-plus. Ritter Steinmann got all three outs in the seventh, including two strikeouts, KT Gearlds worked the eighth and Ryan Sandoval got his sixth save of the year pitching the ninth.
Gable had three of KWU's nine hits in the game and drove in five of six runs.
The second game was a pitching masterpiece by both teams, Brett Maddock for KWU and Kellen Brothers for Oklahoma Wesleyan.
Maddock took a no-hitter into the seventh inning, when Jorge Aldrete singled up the middle just under the glove of the diving Adrian Villalobos at second base with one out in the inning. Adam Austin drove in the Eagles' lone run on a fielder's choice.
Bishop gave the Coyotes a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning with a towering homer to center field and the game swiftly progressed into the bottom of the fifth before another batter reached base for either team. Beatty clobbered a ball to center field for the Coyotes extending the lead to 2-0 and in the sixth the Coyotes added one more.
Foster and Gable hit back-to-back doubles with Gable driving in the third run of the game for the Coyotes making it 3-0 before OKWU got on the board in the seventh.
Maddock improved to 8-2 with the win, allowing the lone run on the lone hit, while striking out six on 99 pitches.
The teams will meet on Sunday at 1 p.m. in the series finale and the home finale for the Coyotes, who will play the last series of the regular season next weekend at Avila.