Kansas Wesleyan gets by York 3-1 in Regional First Round
By: David Toelle, KWU Sports Information

HUTCHINSON – Kansas Wesleyan got another stellar performance on the mound from sophomore Casey Barnes as the Coyotes advanced in the winner’s bracket of the 2008 NAIA Region IV Tournament with a 3-1 win over York College on Wednesday night at Hobart-Detter Field.

Barnes tossed his eighth complete game of the year, allowing just one run on eight hits and striking out seven, while improving his overall record to 8-2.

Wesleyan had a chance in the first to get a couple runs across, but after a Brandon Mathes walk with one out, Mike Pettibone would end the inning when he lined into a double play to the short stop.

York had a chance in the second, capitalizing on an error by Dusty Romero. Langston Frieson reached on the error and moved to third on a sac bunt play by Curtis Eubanks, but Barnes struck out Eric Davidson to end the inning.

Wesleyan (31-16) got a golden chance in its half of the second when Russell Skeete led off with a ground rule double into the right field corner, but he would be stranded at third when Romero grounded out to end the inning.

Barnes worked himself out of a pair of jams in the fourth and fifth innings. In the fourth, Frison would reach on an error with one out, but Joe Ramirez would strike out on the following at bat. Eubanks would follow with a double, but Davidson would fly out to left to end the inning.

The Panthers loaded the bases in the fifth, thanks to Barnes hitting two batters and a single from Adam Janky, but Barnes would strike out Love and Frison to end the inning and leave the bases loaded.

York (33-23) had another chance in the sixth when Ramirez would lead off the inning with a single, and move to second on a sac bunt from Eubanks. Davidson followed with a single, but after the ball bounced off a diving Dan Herrle at short, Mathes charged in from left field and fired a perfect ball to Kyle Hook at the plate to gun down Ramirez, who was trying to score on the play.

Wesleyan got on the board first in the sixth with a lone run when Darell Grames scored when Pettibone reached on an error after leading off the frame with a single.

York answered back in the top of the seventh, using a walk from Janky and a Richards single to have two runners with one out. Love then doubled to left, scoring Janky, but another great defensive play from Mathes, hitting the cutoffs to nail Richards at the plate.

A single by Brock Pettyjohn to lead off the seventh for Wesleyan followed by Romero reaching on a fielder’s choice, forced a pitching change by York. Lovett struck out but reached on a wild pitch allowing Pettyjohn to score. Hook then hit a sac bunt to score Romero. Mathes walked with two outs, but Wesleyan could not add any more runs in the inning.

Askins doubled to lead off the ninth for York, but he could not score as Barnes forced a ground out by Connolly, a strike out by Janky and the game ending fly out to left by Richards.

Skeete had two of Wesleyan’s five hits to lead the Coyotes offensively.

Nick Jones took the loss for York, pitching six-plus innings, giving up three runs on five hits while walking one and striking out five. Joel Fleck pitched two hitless innings in relief, walking one and striking out three. Richards led the Panthers with two hits.

The Coyotes advance to the second round of the tournament and will face the winner of the Park vs. Friends matchup at 6 p.m., while York will face Bellevue at 11 a.m. on Thursday after the Bruins fell to Bethany 4-3 earlier in the day.

-- NAIA IV --