Mar 11, 2023

Coyote baseball opens key KCAC series with win over Tabor

Posted Mar 11, 2023 6:18 PM
Photo courtesy <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com">kwucoyotes.com</a>
Photo courtesy kwucoyotes.com

KWU Sports Information

Kansas Wesleyan baseball opened its key Kansas Conference series with the Tabor College Bluejays with a 5-2 victory on Friday at Dean Evans Stadium.

Both teams came into Friday's game at the top of the KCAC standings with Tabor at 5-0 and KWU at 4-1 in conference play. Both teams now sit in a four-way tie for first place with a 5-1 conference record, along with McPherson and Oklahoma Wesleyan.

The Coyotes took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning as Dustin Sipe (SR/Aztec, N.M.) launched a homer to left field, his team leading eighth of the season over the top of the Evans Stadium scoreboard.

In the third, Tabor threatened to score getting a runner to third, but Wesleyan starter Nathan Righi (JR/Pekin, Ill.) would get Tyler Mata-Lloyd to strikeout looking to end the inning.

Tabor took a 2-1 lead in the top of the fourth on a homer by Brayden Whitchurch but the Coyotes answered back in the bottom of the inning. Kevin Esquilin-Cruz (SR/Trujilo Alto, Puerto Rico) singled and stole second in the inning, followed by a walk to Jarrett Gable (SR/Colleyville, Texas). The runners moved up on a passed ball, and then Diego Solis (SO/El Paso, Texas) drove in a run with a single back up the middle to tie the game.

The Coyotes (17-6, 5-1) took the lead in the bottom of the fifth. William Dryburgh (SR/St. Joseph, Mo.) was hit by a pitch to start the inning followed by a walk to Kendall Foster (SR/Prosper, Texs). Two batters later Haydn Brown (SR/Gardnerville, Nev.) singled and Dryburgh scored, but Brown was thrown out at first base. Zack Beatty (JR/Maple Park, Ill.) followed with another RBI single to put the Coyotes up 4-2.

Diego Solis drove in Wesleyan's lone run in the sixth. Esquilin-Cruz led off the inning with a hit, and Gable advanced him with a sacrifice bunt. Solis then grounded out but Esquilin-Cruz did not stop at third base, instead kept going, catching the defense off guard and scored from second base on the play putting KWU up 5-2.

Tabor put two runners on in the seventh, but a fielder's choice and a caught stealing got the Coyotes out of the jam.

In the eighth, the Coyotes got a big double play to end a Tabor rally.

Tabor tried to rally in the ninth, getting a leadoff double by Cody Moore. After a walk to Miguel Ramos, the Coyotes would end the game on a 6-4-3 double play.

Righi got the win for the Coyotes allowing two runs on three hits with seven strikeouts in seven innings. KT Gearlds (SR/Ingram, Texas) pitched the eighth with a walk and strikeout, and Ryan Sandoval (SR/El Paso, Texas) picked up the save in the ninth.

Sipe, Brown, Esquilin-Cruz and Solis had two hits each to lead the way for the Coyote offense.

The teams are scheduled to finish the series on Saturday with a doubleheader starting at noon at Dean Evans Stadium. With inclement weather in the forecast, the schedule may change. Keep an eye on kwucoyotes.com and on Twitter for any schedule change updates