Kansas Wesleyan Baseball avoided a sweep at the hands of the Ottawa University Braves on Monday as the Coyotes picked up the 10-7 win in the series finale at Dean Evans Stadium.
The game was a pitcher's battle through the first three innings between Caden Gray for Ottawa and KWU's Nathan Galusha.
Ottawa took the lead first with three runs in the top of the fourth inning and the Braves held the lead until the fifth when the Coyote offense came to life.
Alex Garcia led off the inning with a single then scored on Jacob Williamson's homer out to right field. Tyler Favretto made it back-to-back jacks for the Coyotes with a towering shot to center field. Fernando Ruvalcaba walked two batters later and Carter Allen followed with a 2-run homer to center field for the third of the inning for the Coyotes.
Coulson Riggs followed with a double two batters later and Jesse Conrad brought in KWU's sixth run of the inning with a ground out that scored Joe Finder who had walked.
Ottawa got a run back in the sixth, but the Coyotes had an answer in the bottom of the inning. Favretto and Garrett Garfield walked bringing up Ruvalcaba who crushed a ball out to left for three runs to make it 9-4. Allen followed with a single, Finder doubled and Riggs walked to load the bases to set up Conrad's sacrifice fly to make it 10-4.
Ottawa tried to rally in the eighth, but fell short. The Braves put two runners on and it appeared that Nick Sizemore had hit a 3-run homer to get the Braves within three, but Sizemore and Chris Broughton collided after Sizemore rounded first base and Sizemore was called out on the play and only two runs would count. Ottawa did add one more run later in the inning.
Galusha was stellar for the Coyotes through six innings, scattering five hits and four runs while striking out nine against three walks. Ritter Steinmann finished the game with the three-inning save, his fourth save of the season.
Williamson, Favretto and Allen had two hits each to lead the Coyotes.