Coyotes sweep Dana for fourth straight win
By: Andy Brockman and David Toelle, KWU Sports Information

DUGOUT GAMES: Steve Lazorchak gets an accessory for his hat during game two of KWU's sweep of Dana

Kansas Wesleyan extended its win streak to four games with a sweep of Dana (Neb.) 8-3 and 11-1 on Wednesday afternoon at Dean Evans Stadium.

GAME ONE: KWU 8, Dana 3 – The first game started off with neither team scoring in the first inning, but the second inning was a completely different story.  Dana took the early lead by scoring two runs in the top of the second.  Quentin Connealy singled to right and later scored on a wild pitch, and Taylor Hoskinson was batted in by a Andrew James single. 

Wesleyan answered the Dana rally by scoring five on five hits in the top of the second.  Dana also had two errors in the inning which extended the inning and allowed the Coyotes to keep the inning going. 

Wesleyan’s pitcher, Brian Dobyns, put down the Dana hitters in an orderly fashion, and the Coyote hitters put up three more runs in the third.  Two more Dana errors along with two hits by Russell Skeete and Dan Herrle put the Coyotes up 8-2 going into the fourth inning. 

Dana then scored one in the fourth as Connealy scored again making the game 8-3 as he and Drew Petersen both got singles. 

Both teams were shut down for the rest of the game due to good pitching by the teams’ relievers. Anthony Teal pitched three shutout innings for Dana and David Lovett threw three scoreless innings as well to end the game, 8-3.

Dobyns got the win for the Coyotes, giving up three runs on five hits in four innings work, while striking out four and walking three.  Lovett pitched three innings allowing no hits and no runs while striking out three.

Wesleyan had ten hits, led by hot hitting Brandon Mathes with three.  Skeete added two hits, and Darell Grames, Mike Pettibone, Dusty Romero, Herrle, and Kyel Hook all added one hit.

Pete Treantos got the start for Dana College and pitched three innings giving up eight runs on eight hits, while striking out one and had no walks.  Teal pitched the final three innings giving up two hits and no runs, struck out one and walked no one.

GAME 2: KWU 11, Dana 1 (5 innings) – Wesleyan got three runs in its half of the first inning and never looked back as the Coyotes cruised to a run-rule shortened 11-1 win in five innings.

Mathes singled and scored on a two-out double by Skeete. Dobyns then reached on an error by Cody Falk, which plated Wesleyan’s two other runs.

Dana got on the board in the top of the second with Falk scored on a single by Alex Johnson. Wesleyan starter Nick Allaire struck out Petersen to end the threat from the Vikings.

Grames doubled with two outs in the bottom of the second and later scored on a Mathes single. Mathes then scored on an error by Petersen on a ball by Mike Pettibone. Pettibone advanced to second on a stolen base before Ronny Romo grounded out to end the inning.

Neither team posted any offense in the third, and Dana was quickly retired in the top of the fourth before Wesleyan’s (13-7) offense exploded in the bottom half of the frame.

Grames led off the frame with a double, and Brock Pettyjohn came on to pinch run and later scored on a single from Pettibone. David Lovett came on to pinch hit for Dobyns and singled home Mathes, leaving the bases loaded.  Romero was hit by a pitch, forcing in Pettibone, and Bowyer was hit in the next at bat forcing in Romo, who had reached on a single. Pettyjohn became the third consecutive batter to be hit by Dana pitcher Charles Kimble forcing in Lovett for the fifth run of the inning.

Allaire allowed Dana to load the bases in the top of the fifth, but struck out the final two batters of the Viking half to leave three runners stranded with no runs in.

After a Pettibone ground out to open the Coyote fifth, Romo doubled, Skeete was intentionally walked and Lovett reached on a traditional walk to load the bases with one out. Romero flew out and Hartzell walked to drive home the game ending run.

Mathes led the Coyotes with three hits, as he continued on his offensive tear this week, going 3-for-4 in game two, scoring three runs and driving in one. Romo also scored three times, while Pettibone and Dobyns each drove in a pair. Allaire went the distance for the Coyotes, giving up one run on six hits, while walking three and striking out 11.

Hoskinson took the loss for Dana (4-13), giving up five runs on four hits in two innings of work, while striking out and walking two. Kimble pitched two innings, giving up five runs on six hits, and Johnson worked the fifth walking three and giving up one hit.

The Coyotes are off until Saturday when they head to Lindsborg to take on Bethany at 1 p.m. Wesleyan returns home on Monday to face Tabor at 4 p.m. at Dean Evans Stadium.

-- KWU SI --