Coyotes salvage split with Ottawa
By: David Toelle and Andy Brockman, KWU Sports Information

Kansas Wesleyan used a two hitter from Brandon Mathes in game two of Monday afternoon’s doubleheader with Ottawa University to propel the Coyotes to a 10-0 win in game two as the teams split with Ottawa winning game one 3-1 at Dean Evans Stadium.

GAME 1: Ottawa 3, KWU 1 – Ottawa scored two runs in the top of the seventh inning to break a 1-1 tie, and a strange situation in the bottom half of the inning gave the Braves the 3-1 win in game one.

Dustin Romero led off the first with a walk on four pitches off Ottawa closer Brandon Myers, in the seventh and Stephen Cilladi stepped up to pinch hit for Paul Bridenbaugh. After Cilladi walked, Ottawa’s coaching staff reported to the umpire that Cilladi had not reported as a sub, despite being announced over the public address system as a pinch hitter. As a result, Cilladi was called out and Romero returned to first. Pinch hitter Nick Allaire reached on a fielder’s choice and Darell Grames struck out to end the game.

Ottawa got its first run in the top of the first when Joe Summers led off the inning with a double and later scored on a ground out by Mike Frank.

Wesleyan evened the score in the fourth thanks to back-to-back doubles from Ronny Romo and Russell Skeete. Bridenbaugh flew out to right, and Skeete was gunned down at home by right fielder Tony Hurla, trying to score from third.

Ottawa got a pair in the top of the seventh to take the 3-1 lead. A two run single by pinch hitter Rob Blankenship with two outs put the Braves ahead.

Shaun Sumter took the loss, tossing a complete game, giving up three runs on seven hits while striking out five and walking one. Five different players each had a hit for Wesleyan, while Skeete drove in the Coyotes’ only run of the game.

Ottawa reliever Will Koeneman got the win, pitching two innings, giving up no hits and striking out one. Myers pitched the seventh for the save and walked one and struck out one. Hurla led Ottawa’s offense with two hits, while Blankenship had two RBIs.

GAME 2:  KWU 10, Ottawa 0 – KWU got their swagger back at the plate as they scored multiple runs in four different innings and Brandon Mathes pitched a shutout as Kansas Wesleyan ten-run-ruled Ottawa in six innings.

The game started off in favor of the Coyotes as they scored two runs in the first innings.  Darell Grames led off with a walk and then stole second.  David Lovett got walked to put two men on base with no outs.  Brandon Mathes helped his own cause by hitting and RBI single, scoring Grames.  Ronny Romo got walked as well and Lovett later scored on a Mike Pettibone ground ball to put KWU up 2-0.

The second inning was scoreless but KWU added four more runs in the third.  Lovett, Mathes, and Romo led off with back-to-back-to-back singles and would all score in the inning.  Dusty Romero, Nick Hartzell, and Kyle Hook all then took turns hitting singles as well.  Romero would score on Hook’s hit. 

KWU (27-13, 13-7) scored two more in the fifth and six to go up 10-0 in the game and cause the run-rule to be in effect. 

Romero and Hartzell both scored in the fifth as Romero and Hook each got their second hit of the game.  In the sixth, Romo singled and Mike Pettibone hit a two-run blast over the right-centerfield wall to go up ten

Mathes, who is most often used as a reliever when he pitches, got the start and threw a complete game shut out and only allowed two hits.  He struck out three and walked one while facing only nineteen total batters the whole game.

Mathes, Romo, Romero, and Hook all had two hits to lead the way for the Coyotes.  Lovitt, Pettibone, and Hartzell all added one to round out the team’s eleven hit total.  Pettibone had a home-run. 

Ottawa (16-21, 9-11) used four pitchers in the game, giving up ten runs on eleven hits while striking out three and walking five.

Derek Sparks and Tommy King each got one hit for Ottawa.

Wesleyan is back in action on Wednesday when the Coyotes travel to Lawrence to face the University of Kansas Jayhawks at Hoglund Ballpark at 6 p.m. The Jayhawks and Coyotes faced each other last season as well, with KU winning 11-4. The Coyotes then return to KCAC action on Thursday at Tabor before wrapping up the regular season on next Tuesday at home against Saint Mary.

-- KWU SI --