Coyotes use pair of late rallies to get by Saint Mary
By: David Toelle and Andy Brockman, KWU Sports Information

Kansas Wesleyan got a walk-off homer by Russell Skeete in game one, and scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh to get a pair of wins over Saint Mary on Tuesday night at Dean Evans Stadium. The sweep also gives Kansas Wesleyan its first KCAC Regular Season Championship in baseball since the 2001 season.

GAME 1: KWU 1, Saint Mary 0 – Game one featured a pitcher’s duel between Wesleyan’s Casey Barnes and Saint Mary’s Carlos Martinez, with the Coyotes getting a walk-off line drive home run from Russell Skeete with one out in the seventh to give KWU the 1-0 win.

Both teams only combined for seven hits in the first game, and Wesleyan held Saint Mary off the board despite committing three errors.

After a quick first from Saint Mary, Darell Grames singled up the middle to lead off the Wesleyan half of the inning, but the Coyotes could not get a rally started as Mike Pettibone grounded out to the mound to end the inning.

Brandon Flood doubled in the Saint Mary second with two outs, followed by a Stephen Maurin walk, but Hogan Matson would swing at strike three from Barnes to end the frame.

Neither team managed another hit until the top of the fifth when Ryan Reed singled. Glen Aveson moved Reed to second with a sacrifice bunt, but Dustin Smith would strike out to end the inning.

Wesleyan answered with a single from Ronny Romo in the bottom of the fifth, but the Coyotes could not get a run across.

Cody Newman opened the Saint Mary sixth with a strike out before Evan Reynolds would reach on an error, giving the Spires a man on with one out. However, pinch runner Jeremy Crook would be picked off by Barnes and company in a 1-3-4-3 rundown for the second out. Tim Martin would then ground out to end the inning.

Saint Mary had its best chance to score in the top of the seventh, but came up empty. Flood and Maurin led off the inning with back-to-back singles, but Matson would hit a weak ball back to Barnes, who gunned down Flood at third, but Pettibone’s throw to first for the double play was wide and Saint Mary had runners at second and third with one out. Barnes would recover, forcing Reed into a ground out to third, and struck out Aveson to end the inning.

Wesleyan then controlled its own destiny heading into the seventh. Pettibone led off the inning with a pop out, before Skeete stepped up and took a 1-1 offering from Martinez on a laser line over the fence in left for the game winning walk-off shot, his third homer of the season.

Barnes scattered four hits over seven innings for the complete game win, while striking out seven and walking just one. Barnes needed 106 pitches for the win, but was strong throughout the night. Grames, Skeete and Romo each had one hit for the Coyotes.

Martinez took the loss, pitching six and a third innings, scattering three hits, while giving up just the run in the seventh. He struck out two batters, and tossed only 60 pitches on the night.

GAME 2: KWU 2, Saint Mary 1 – Shaun Sumter pitched a one-run complete game and the Coyote offense produced two runs in the bottom of the seventh to give KWU their second come from behind victory of the day.

The scoreboard was filled with zeros until the fourth inning behind an incredible effort on the mound from Sumter.  He struck out the first five USM batters he faced, and then made a spectacular barehanded play on a ball bouncing over his head to end the second inning.

Saint Mary’s lone run was courtesy of a Brandon Flood sacrifice fly ball scoring Dustin Smith.

The Coyotes were never able to rally off USM’s starting pitcher, Tim Martin, but after he gave up two runners in the seventh with no outs, the Spires brought in reliever Zane Merritt and the Wesleyan dugout put on their rally caps and were able to piece of few things together finally.

Mike Pettibone led off the Wesleyan (30-14, 16-8) seventh with a double down the right-field line, followed by Russell Skeete then hitting a hard ball to third, but a bad throw by Glen Aveson allowed him to reach on the error.  Ronny Romo laid down a nice bunt and Merritt’s throw to third to get Pettibone was late to load the bases. Pinch-hitter Brandon Mathes hit a single scoring Pettibone to tie the game, 1-1.  With the bases still loaded, Stephen Cilladi was up to bat and Merritt threw a wild pitch to the backstop which allowed Skeete to come home for the game winning run.

Sumter pitched the entire seven innings allowing only one run on six scattered hits while striking out ten and walking none. 

Darell Grames, Pettibone, Brian Dobyns, and Mathes all had one hit for the Coyotes.

Martin pitched six-plus innings for Saint Mary (22-21, 13-11), allowing no runs on three hits while striking out five and walking one. Merritt recorded the lone out in the seventh and allowed two runs on two hits while striking out one and walking no one.

Glen Aveson and Justin Sumner each had two hits for Saint Mary.

Wesleyan captured its first KCAC title since the 2001 season, and is the top ranked team in the conference, while Friends is the second ranked team in the conference after beating Sterling 10-1 earlier in the day. The Coyotes and Friends receive automatic berths into next week’s NAIA Region IV Tournament in Hutchinson, while the no.3 through no.6 seeded teams will play in the KCAC Post-Season Tournament beginning on Thursday.

Wesleyan wraps up its regular season with a pair of games tomorrow night starting at 6 p.m. in Hays against Fort Hays State University.

-- KWU SI --