KWU Athletics
Kansas Wesleyan's come-from-behind victory over Avila in the second game of a Kansas Conference doubleheader was sorely needed.
Coach Bill Neale, though, wasn't in a celebratory mood.
The Coyotes rallied for eight runs in the sixth inning and won the nightcap 11-4 after losing the first game 7-4 Saturday at Dean Evans Stadium.
While pleased with the victory Neale wasn't happy with the way his team performed on the day.
"It's great we got the split but we definitely struggled today," he said. "They stayed at it, they care and they're trying but we've got to play better."
KWU is currently sixth in the KCAC standings at 11-10, one game ahead of Bethany with Oklahoma Wesleyan's fifth at 10-9. The top six teams in the final standings qualify for the conference's postseason tournament, making each of the Coyotes' 12 remaining games crucial.
"Every game's important, we're in playoff mode right now," Neale said. "It's one game at a time. We've got to come out (Sunday) ready to go and hopefully get that win."
KWU trailed Avila 4-1 going into the bottom of the fifth inning of the second game but closed the gap on Kevin Esquilin Cruz (JR/Trujilo Alto, Puerto Rico)'s leadoff home run, Haydn Brown (SR/Gardnerville, Nev.)'s double and Jalen Jones (SO/Katy, Texas)' RBI double that made it 4-3.
The Coyotes broke it open with the sixth inning explosion. John Downey (SR/Redding, Calif.) led off with a walk and pinch runner Will Dryburgh went to third on an error on a failed pickoff attempt. One out later pinch hitter Josh Sandoval (SR/Glendale, Ariz.) singled in Dryburgh to tie it at 4 and opened the proverbial flood gates.
Brown drew a two-out walk and Dustin Sipe (JR/Aztec, N.M.) followed with a two-run double that gave KWU a 6-4 lead. Jones reached on an error by the shortstop and Jarrett Gable (JR/Colleyville, Texas) walked to load the bases. Pinch hitter Zach Olson (SO/Red, Alberta) walked forcing in a run that made it 7-4 and pinch hitter Aaron Gardner (SR/Tucson, Ariz.) drilled a double into the right centerfield gap for two more runs and a 9-4 advantage. Yealex Lopez-Torres (JR/Arecibo, Puerto Rico)' single drove in the last two runs and the final 11-4 lead.
"We were talking during the game that we'd start the inning off with a double or something hit hard then we'd have three bad at-bats after that and don't score a run," Neale said. "At the end we got a bunch of hits together and I know we out-hit them on the day (17-14)."
Cesar Rodriguez (SO/Houston, Texas) (1-0) relieved starter Branden Voytko (JR/El Paso, Texas) in the fifth and got the win with two shutout innings. Voytko allowed four runs (three earned) on three hits, eight strikeouts and six walks. Nathaniel Beers (JR/Port Orchard, Wash.) pitched the seventh.
KWU had 10 hits, Esquilin Cruz and Brown two apiece, and Sipe, Gardner and Lopez-Torres drove in two each.
The Coyotes totaled seven hits in the first game. Brown's team-high 13th home run gave KWU a 1-0 lead in the first inning but Avila (6-15 KCAC, 15-19 overall) scored one in the second, two in the fourth and one of the fifth for a 4-1 lead.
Diego Fisher (JR/Hollister, Calif.)'s single and Gable's two-run homer in the bottom of the fifth trimmed the deficit to 4-3. The Coyotes pulled even 4-4 in the sixth when Esquilin Cruz led off with a double and scored one out later on Downey's pinch-hit sacrifice fly.
Avila, though, scored three times in the seventh on three hits, an error and bases loaded hit batsman.
Dewyer (3-6) took the loss allowing five runs on seven hits, three of them home runs, with 11 strikeouts and two walks. Spencer Foley (JR/Lancaster, Calif.) surrendered two runs (one earned) in two-thirds of an inning.
"(Dewyer and Voytko) didn't have their best stuff today," Neale said. "Some poor pitch selection with Dewyer early led to those home runs but he battled and he pitched well enough for us to win, that's for sure. Our bullpen's been great all year."
Game 3 of the three-game series is at 1 p.m. Sunday at Evans Stadium. The Coyotes are off Monday before playing Sterling in a single game at 2 p.m. Tuesday in Sterling.