Coyotes split with Tabor in Hays
By: David Toelle, KWU Sports Information

HAYS – The second doubleheader matchup between Kansas Wesleyan and Tabor College this season had its third site change in a month due to the wet weather, as the Coyotes and Bluejays finally got together Thursday night at Larks Park. KWU and Tabor split the games with Wesleyan winning game one 2-0 and Tabor taking the nightcap in five innings 13-1.

GAME 1: KWU 2, Tabor 0 – After struggling his last time out, Casey Barnes scattered four hits over seven innings as the Coyotes got the 2-0 win in game one.

Wesleyan had golden chances to score in the first and second innings, but both times, inning-ending double plays held the Coyotes off the board twice.

The Coyotes would rally in the third, scoring their only two runs of the game. Kyle Hook led off the frame with a single, and Brandon Cole, who was courtesy running for Hook later scored on a double by Dusty Romero to left field. After Romero stole third, Brandon Mathes singled up the middle to score Romero to make it 2-0 Coyotes.

Tabor had a chance to get a run in the top of the fourth when Clayton Kessler grounded out to second to move two runners to second and third with two outs. A wild pitch from Barnes sent courtesy runner Aaron Stepanek towards home, but an alert play by Hook to Barnes easily gunner him down at the plate.

Barnes got the win to improve to 6-2 this season, scattering the four hits over seven innings while walking two and striking out six. Hook had two hits to lead the Coyotes offensively in game one, while four others each had one hit.

Andrew Cook took the loss for Tabor, pitching six innings for a complete game, giving up two runs on six hits, while walking two and striking out three. Four different Tabor players each had one hit.

GAME 2: Tabor 13, KWU 1 (5 innings) – Things unraveled quickly for the Coyotes in game two, as Tabor got one run in the first, four in the second and eight in the third to take the game in five innings.

Stepanek scored Tabor’s first run when he scored on a single by Kurt Swygert in the first inning off Wesleyan starter Shaun Sumter.

Tabor added four more in the second inning thanks to four hits and two KWU errors. Cook led off the inning with a single and later scored along with Shinsuke Kosugi on a double by Alfred Wilson. Kosugi reached on bunt fielder’s choice that was fielded by Sumter, and his throw to second was wild. Jordan Lago then singled home Wilson and moved to second on a throwing error by Mike Pettibone. Sizemore then singled to score Lago before Swygert struck out to end the inning.

Back-to-back hit batters in the bottom of the third gave the Coyotes two base runners, but neither could score as pinch hitter Nick Allaire stuck out looking to end the inning.

Things fell apart for the Coyotes in the top of the third. Reliever Brian Dobyns only recorded one out, but gave up six runs as Tabor scored eight in the frame. Ryan Boucher led off the inning with a single and moved to second when Dobyn’s committed an error on a bunt by Cook. An error by Pettibone on a bunt by Kosugi allowed one run to score and runners on second and third with no outs. Dustin Dick then singled scoring Cook, and Kosugi scored on a delayed double steal. After a Lago single, another delayed double steal yielded a run, and Brown followed that with a double to score Lago. After a Wesleyan pitching change, Sizemore doubled to score Stepanek, who was running for Brown at second. A fielder’s choice yielded the second out of the inning, but David Lovett dropped a fly ball in right field, which led to a two-run single by Cook down the right field line before Kosugi struck out to end the inning.

The Coyotes got their lone run in the bottom of the third. Hook led off the inning with a double, and Cole, who was running for Hook, scored on a sacrifice fly by Lovett. Back to back Tabor errors gave Wesleyan two base runners, but the Coyotes could not get any more runs across as Romo grounded into a fielder’s choice to end the inning.

Wesleyan (28-14, 14-8) got a triple from Darell Grames with one out in the fifth, but could not get a rally started as Mathes popped out to end the game.

Sumter took the loss for the Coyotes, giving up five runs on seven hits in two innings, while striking out two. Dobyns pitched one third of an inning, giving up six runs, only one earned, on four hits, and Jeremy New finished the game, giving up two unearned runs on three hits, in two and two-thirds innings. Grames and Hook had Wesleyan’s only two hits of game two.

Tabor (18-29, 7-15) got the win behind Clayton Kessler, who went five innings, giving up one run on two hits, while striking out one and walking one. The Bluejays pounded out 13 runs on 14 hits in game two led by Wilson and Sizemore with three hits each.

Wesleyan wraps up its regular season on Tuesday at home against Saint Mary, in what could be a pivotal doubleheader in the final KCAC standings before next week’s KCAC Tournament which will be held in Salina.

-- KWU SI --