Five-run fifth inning blows game open, Coyotes win in seventh on run rule, face top seeded Lubbock Christian tonight at 6 p.m.
LUBBOCK, TEXAS – Kansas Wesleyan opened its third straight NAIA Baseball National Championship Opening Round appearance with an 11-1 run-rule shortened win over the Hastings Broncos on Thursday afternoon at Lubbock Christian’s Hays Field in Lubbock, Texas.
The Coyotes will play again tonight at 6 p.m., against top seeded and No.9 ranked Lubbock Christian on their home field in the winner’s bracket quarterfinals. Should the Coyotes pull off the upset win over the Chaps they would play at 2:30 p.m., Friday in the winner’s bracket semifinals. A loss would drop the Coyotes into the loser’s bracket and they would face the winner of tournament game 4 at 6 p.m., Friday.
It took until the bottom of the fourth for either team to shake the jitters of the Opening Round when the Coyotes struck with three runs. After a strikeout, Brandon Trodick singled and two batters later moved to third on a hit by Reggie York. Jeff Gonzales was then hit by a pitch setting up Omar Sadaoui’s 2-run single to put Wesleyan up 2-0. After a walk to Jake Bowyer, Tito Garcia singled through the left side to plate a run and put the Coyotes up 3-0.
Hastings got its only run of the game on AJ Clark’s sacrifice fly in the top of the fifth inning. The scoring play was set up by singles by Zach Nelson and Daniel Nealon and a Wesleyan error on the second hit.
The Coyotes exploded for five runs in the bottom of the fifth to take an 8-1 lead. Bain was hit by a pitch to open the frame and then stole second and took third on a wild pitch setting up Mihic’s RBI hit to short for the first run. York then singled and Gonzales was hit by a pitch for the second time to load the bases. Omar Sadaoui then singled back through the middle to score another run, followed by Bowyer’s 3-run double to left.
Coyote starter Matt Royal got out of a bases loaded jam in the top of the sixth getting Brown to pop out to end the inning. The Broncos used three hits and a fielder’s choice to load the bases before the pop out.
Wesleyan got two more runs in the bottom of the sixth to take a 10-1 lead. Jordan Bain led the frame off with a single and Trodick followed with a double. Jon Mihic singled to plate both runners for the Broncos were able to record any outs in the inning.
The Coyotes (35-15) ended the game in the bottom of the seventh on the run rule. Garcia led off with a walk and Jones was hit by a pitch. After Bain popped out to third, pinch hitter Kyle Lynch reached on an error at third base that allowed the game-ending run to score.
Wesleyan pounded out 13 hits as both Trodick and York went 3-for-4 in the game and Mihic, Sadaoui and Bowyer each drove in three runs. Royal went six innings for the win, improving to 11-2 overall, allowing one run on seven hits while walking three and striking out three. Hunter Ward pitched the seventh for the Coyotes.
Nelson paced Hastings’ offense with two hits. AJ Clark took the loss for the Broncos before being replaced in the fifth inning.