KWU Sports Information
GREAT BEND – Kansas Wesleyan baseball dropped its KCAC Tournament opener to the Oklahoma Wesleyan Eagles 10-5 on Wednesday at the Great Bend Sports Complex.
The loss drops the Coyotes into the loser's bracket where they'll face Tabor on Thursday at 3 p.m.
The way back through the loser's bracket is a familiar trip for the Coyotes, who won the KCAC tournament last season after working their way back through to win the tournament.
Things started out well for the Coyotes as Dustin Sipe (SR/Aztec, N.M.) started a 2-out rally in the bottom of the first inning with a triple and Haydn Brown (SR/Gardnerville, Nev.) hit a 2-run homer to give the Coyotes a 2-0 lead.
The Coyotes added two more in the third as William Dryburgh (SR/St. Joseph, Mo.) led off with a walk, Sipe walked and moved to second on a wild pitch, then scored on Brown's RBI single. Brown then scored on Zack Beatty (JR/Maple Park, Ill.)'s RBI double.
OKWU tied it in the top of the sixth with four runs, but the Coyotes answered back in the bottom of the inning. Beatty walked, and later scored on Kevin Esquilin-Cruz (SR/Trujilo Alto, Puerto Rico)' double to put the Coyotes up 5-4.
The Eagles scored three times in the seventh and three times in the eighth to take the 10-5 lead.
Brown had two of KWU's seven hits and drove in three runs. Ritter Steinmann (SO/Oroville, Calif.) suffered the loss on the mound, allowing six runs, four earned on five hits. Starter Tyler Triano (SR/Hollister, Calif.) went six innings allowing four runs on six hits.