Romo’s slam fuels KWU’s sweep of Friends
By: Andy Brockman and David Toelle, KWU Sports Information

Ronny Romo (15) rounds first base after hitting a gland slam in the bottom of the sixth of game two in KWU's sweep of Friends

Kansas Wesleyan rallied from two first inning deficits against the Friends Falcons fueled by a grand slam by Ronny Romo as part of a seven run sixth in game two as KWU defeated the Falcons 10-1 and 8-3 on Saturday afternoon at Dean Evans Stadium.

GAME 1: KWU 10, Friends 1 -- Kansas Wesleyan used a huge eight run rally in the bottom of the fourth to beat Friends University 10-1.

Friends scored their only run of the game with a home run by Sean Zuniga off Wesleyan starting pitcher Casey Barnes in the first inning to get things started.  Barnes shook it off, however, and pitched a scoreless rest of the game, allowing just three hits the rest of the way.

The Coyote hitters didn’t cross the plate the first three innings but made up for it in the fourth.  They exploded for eight runs and never looked back.  Ronny Romo led the inning off with a double and then Dusty Romero walked.  Steve Cilladi then laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners into scoring position.  Kyle Hook hit a two-RBI single to give Wesleyan the lead 2-1.  Six more Coyotes would later score in the inning.

Kansas Wesleyan would score two more runs in the bottom of the sixth to make the game 10-1.  Russell Skeete and Mike Pettibone had back-to-back doubles and both would go on to score. 

Casey Barnes went the distance, pitching seven innings, allowing only one run on four hits, while striking out six and walking one. 

Wesleyan had twelve hits on the day led by Ronny Romo with three, including a double.  Brock Pettyjohn, Skeete, Romero, and Hook all added two hits.  Skeete, Romero, and Hook all had two RBI’s as well.

Nate Nordstrom got the loss for Friends by pitching 3.1 innings, allowing six runs on five hits and striking out two while walking three.  James Hayes and Nick Wilczynski pitched in relief.

Friends had four hits, led by Jeff Finlay with two.  Austin Stading and Zuniga each added one.

GAME 2: KWU 8, Friends 3 – When the Coyotes score runs, they usually come in bunches. After falling behind 3-0, Wesleyan plated a single run in the fourth, and as in game one, exploded for a seven-spot in the sixth as the Coyotes rallied for the 8-3 win.

Friends got on the board in the first when Steve Shaw singled and scored Jason Enyart, who had reached on a single. Two batters later, Coyote starter Shaun Sumter plunked Zuniga to load the bases but Finlay lined out to Sumter to end the threat from Friends.

The Falcons added another in the third as Sumter put two hitters on after hitting them. Zuniga singled, scoring Joe Thibault. Wesleyan had a chance to end the threat on a double play attempt on a ball from Finlay, but Romero bobbled the ball at second and Finlay was safe on the fielder’s choice. The Falcons would strand two runners when Errol Bailey popped out to end the inning.

Friends took a 3-0 lead in the top of the fourth when Jon Moser led off with a double and then scored on an error by Hook. Stading, who reached and advanced to second on the error was then picked off single-handedly by Sumter, who chased him down between second and third.

The Coyotes got one back in their half of the fourth. Romo led off with a single, followed by Romero being hit by Friends’ Jeremy Sirios. After a strike out, Hook singled to load the bases and Darell Grames drove home a run with a sacrifice to left scoring Romo. Mathes nearly had a hit but his liner to left was snagged to end the Coyote chance.

The fifth inning went quickly for both teams, and the Coyotes wasted no time dispatching the Falcons in the top of the sixth, using a nifty 6-4-3 double play to end the inning.

Romero reached on an error to lead off the Wesleyan sixth, followed by a single by pinch hitter Nick Allaire. Grames reached on a bunt single with one out to load the bases, and after a Mathes pop out, Pettyjohn singled home a pair of run to tie the score at 3-all with two outs. Skeete walked followed by a Pettibone single scoring Grames to give Wesleyan the lead. Romo then stepped up and took Sirios’ 1-1 offering to left field clearing the scoreboard by nearly ten feet for a grand slam pushing Wesleyan’s lead to 8-3.

Sumter closed the deal in the seventh, only allowing one hit before Shaw lined out to center to end the game, giving Wesleyan its 12th consecutive win.

Romo again led the way in game two, with three of Wesleyan’s 11 hits. He also drove in four with his sixth-inning slam, while Mathes added two hits and Pettyjohn added two RBIs. Sumter went the distance to improve to 7-0 on the season, throwing seven innings, allowing seven hits and three runs while striking out two.

Sirios pitched five and two-thirds for Friends, giving up eight runs on 11 hits, but only one earned run as all seven of Wesleyan’s runs in the sixth were unearned. He also struck out five and walked two. Heath Kice came in and recorded the final out of the sixth for the Falcons. Thibault had two hits to lead Friends in game two.

The Coyotes return to action on Monday afternoon at 1 p.m., when they are scheduled to face University of Sciences and Arts of Oklahoma (USAO) at Dean Evans Stadium.

-- KWU SI --