KWU Athletics
After a difficult three-games series against Kansas Conference leader and No. 17-ranked Ottawa last weekend in Ottawa, Kansas Wesleyan's hitters were looking for redemption.
They found plenty of it against KCAC foe Sterling on Wednesday night.
The Coyotes bashed three home runs, had 10 total hits and scored at least four runs in two different innings in a 12-3 victory at Dean Evans Stadium. The onslaught came four days after KWU scored four total runs in the three games against OU.
"It's big," KWU coach Bill Neale said. "You lose three to Ottawa, which is a really good team, and to come out and get that feeling back of putting big numbers up and getting a good pitching outing from (Jansen) Lublin … just coming out and taking care of business felt really good."
Wesleyan improved to 10-9 in conference play (tied for fifth with Oklahoma Wesleyan) and 22-19 overall. Sterling fell to 4-15 and 12-23.
The Coyotes broke loose in the third inning in a big way when Josh Sandoval (SR/Glendale, Ariz.) led off the inning with a line drive over the right centerfield fence. One out later Will Dryburgh walked and Dustin Sipe (JR/Aztec, N.M.) was hit by a pitch with two outs. Kevin Esquilin Cruz (JR/Trujilo Alto, Puerto Rico)'s single scored Dryburgh and Jalen Jones (SO/Katy, Texas) cleared the bases with a towering` three-run homer to right for a 5-0 lead.
"I think we came out and tried to do too much because of what happened last weekend and not scoring," Neale said. "Sometimes you press a little bit. Then all of a sudden someone leaves the yard, makes a good swing on a pitch out and away and the wind was obviously pushing balls that way. Everybody just took a deep breath then and we did what we did."
KWU made it 6-0 in the fourth when Jarrett Gable (JR/Colleyville, Texas) walked, stole second and continued to third on a throwing error by the catcher on the play and scored on Aaron Gardner (SR/Tucson, Ariz.)'s single.
The Coyotes increased the lead to 8-2 in the sixth when Zach Olson (SO/Red, Alberta) and Sandoval each walked and scored on Dryburgh's double off the left field wall.
They tacked on four more runs in the bottom of the eighth as Sandoval singled and scored on Gardner's two-run homer to center. Dryburgh then walked, Haydn Brown (SR/Gardnerville, Nev.) was hit by a pitch, Sipe walked and Esquilin Cruz drove in Dryburgh and Brown with a double for the 12-3 lead.
Esquilin Cruz had three hits and Dryburgh, Sandoval and Gardner two each. Esquilin Cruz, Jones and Gardner had three RBI apiece.
"On top of hitting the ball we ran the bases well tonight (four steals) and laid a couple of bunts down for hits, too," Neale said. "We were putting the pressure on them and putting pressure on their pitchers."
Meanwhile Lublin and relievers KT Gearlds (JR/Ingram, Texas) and Cesar Rodriguez (SO/Houston, Texas) put the clamps on Sterling's attack. Lublin (3-3) pitched the first six innings and allowed three runs (one earned) on three hits while striking out 10 and walking four. Gearlds relieved Lublin with two on and no outs in the seventh and pitched two hitless innings with four strikeouts. Rodriguez worked a hitless ninth, striking out two more Warriors.
"Our bullpen's been great all year; our pitching staff, for the most part, has been great all year," Neale said. "We can pull guys when they're doing well because we know what we've got in the bullpen. We've still got a full bullpen left (for this weekend) after we used those guys tonight."
The Coyotes play a three-game conference series against Avila this weekend starting with a doubleheader Saturday followed by a single game Sunday. First pitch is 1 p.m. both days.
"Avila's going to be hungry this weekend, they're still in contention for the (conference tournament) and we need to get after them," Neale said.