Coyotes shutout Tabor twice for eighth straight win
By: David Toelle, KWU Sports Information

HILLSBORO – Kansas Wesleyan and Tabor were supposed to play Monday’s doubleheader in Salina, but wet field conditions forced the games to be moved to Hillsboro. Even on the road, the Coyotes cruised to their eighth straight win with a pair of shutout wins 14-0 and 6-0 at Bluejay Field.

GAME ONE: KWU 14, Tabor 0 – The Coyotes posted ten runs in the top of the first and starting pitcher Casey Barnes held the Bluejays to four hits in five innings as Wesleyan cruised 14-0 in game one.

Darell Grames led off the game with a homerun, which was followed by two straight singles. Russell Skeete loaded the bases when he was plunked by Tabor’s Tyler Suderman. The first of four Tabor errors in the inning brought home Brandon Mathes, and a single by Ronny Romo brought home another run. A fielder’s choice by Dustin Romero scored Skeete, and Kyle Hook reached on a fielder’s choice scoring Pettibone. Grames was hit on his second at bat of the inning, and Mathes singled again scoring Romero. A Brock Pettyjohn double scored Hook and Grames, and two straight errors from Tabor plated Wesleyan’s last two runs before a strike out ended the Coyote half.

The Coyotes added two more in the second when Dan Herrle hit a two-run bomb following a lead-off single by Romero.

Two straight Tabor singles in the bottom of the third gave the Bluejays two baserunners, but a ground out to first with Barnes covering ended the threat.

Wesleyan added another in the fourth when Hook scored after doubling on a single by Grames.

Tabor loaded the bases in the bottom of the fourth when Dustin Dick was hit by Barnes, but Alfred Wilson ended the Tabor rally when he watched strike three cross the plate.

Stephen Cilladi had a RBI single in the fifth, scoring Mike Pettibone to the Coyotes’ final run.

Barnes went the distance in game one, scattering four hits over five innings, while walking one and striking out three. Mathes continued on his recent batting tear, going 3-for-4 in game one, while Grames and Pettyjohn each had two hits as Wesleyan plated 14 runs on 15 hits.

Tyler Suderman took the game one loss, giving up all 14 runs on 15 hits, but stuck out seven. Four different Tabor players had one hit each.

GAME TWO: KWU 6, Tabor 0 – Wesleyan game two started Shaun Sumter held Tabor to four hits as the Coyotes got a 6-0 win in the second game.

Wilson led off the Tabor first with a single, and Chris Brown was hit by Sumter to give Tabor two runners with two outs. A wild pitch moved the runners to second and third before Suderman struck out ending the Bluejay threat.

Wesleyan got on the board in the top of the second when Romo hit a two-run shot following a Pettibone walk, putting the Coyotes up 2-0.

A Romo single in the third plated Pettibone followed by a Romero hit, but Romo was gunned down at the plate trying to score all the way from first on the play.

Romero led off the sixth with a single, and later scored on an error by Travis Schafer on a ball from Mathes. Pettyjohn then scored on a single by Hook and moved to second on a stolen base before Skeete would strike out to end the frame.

Tabor (14-19, 5-7) loaded the bases in the bottom of the sixth when Sizemore reached on a two out walk but a fly out by Suderman ended the threat from the Bluejays.

Wesleyan (17-7, 8-2) added one more in the top of the seventh when Romero scored on a Herrle single after reaching on an error with two outs.

Dick struck out and was put out at first to end the game in the bottom of the seventh as Tabor was unable to capitalize on Schafer’s two-out double.

Sumter went the distance for Wesleyan, scattering four hits while walking one and striking out nine. Four different Coyotes had two hits each as Wesleyan pounded out 11 hits in game two. Romo drove in three runs to lead the way.

Andrew Cook pitched six innings for the Bluejays, giving up five runs on ten hits, while walking three and striking out four. Schafer pitched the seventh, giving up one run on one hit and striking out one. Wilson recorded three of Tabor’s four hits in the game, while Schafer had the lone other base knock.

Wesleyan steps out of KCAC play on Wednesday to face the Benedictine Ravens at 1 p.m. at Dean Evans Stadium. The Coyotes then take on conference foe Friends on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Evans Stadium.

-- KWU SI --