LINDSBORG, Kan. – On Saturday, a slight change to the schedule for the Southwetsern College baseball team resulted in a single nine-inning battle with the Bethany College Swedes on the road in Lindsborg. After starting the game slow offensively, with just two hits over the initial four innings play, Southwestern rattled off 16 hits over the game's final four innings. The newfound production resulted in 10 straight runs being scored by the Moundbuilders to take a 13-3 Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) win over the Swedes in eight innings.

"I couldn't be happier for our guys today," said head coach Chris Dawson. "They didn't let the weather affect them or the changes to the day. Jaxon Burns was huge for us today. He found out he was starting five minutes before game time due to an injury and pitched amazingly."

During the first several innings of the tilt, the Bethany squad held the advantage, notching the first two runs of the game over the opening four full frames. Southwestern would then erase the two-run advantage with a pair of runs in the top of inning number five. Both tallies came on a two-base hit off the bat of Tyler Seboldt. It was his second double of the game, as this one sent home both Chris Weatherford and Travis Popenhagen. 

With the score tied 2-2, Bethany would regain their lead in the bottom of the sixth inning after the Builders stranded runners at the corners with two outs in the top half. A run-scoring single to left-center field set up the Swedes with a one-run lead and just two innings left to play.

A brilliant offensive frame in the top of the seventh for the Moundbuilders put them in control, as 11 SC batters came to the plate, with seven of them coming in to score. Eight total hits were recorded by Southwestern in the frame, accounting for nearly half of their amount for the game. After Seboldt hit his third double of the game to lead off the stanza, Joseph Finder quickly drove him home to tie the battle at 3-3 with no outs yet recorded. A London Penland RBI double and a Marcus Burton run-scoring single would follow, giving SC a 5-3 lead with still zero outs in the inning. Following an infield single by Josh Crabtree, a pickoff attempt to first base went awry and allowed Burton to scamper home from third base to score the Builders' sixth run. Then, a pair of strikeouts marked the first two outs of the frame, but Landon Tinsman followed by drilling a run-scoring double into left-center field to send home Jo. Crabtree. Weatherford would follow that up by driving in the courtesy runner, Popenhagen. Seboldt stepped to the plate and notched his fourth hit of the ballgame on a single to right field, putting runners at the corners, before a double steal allowed Weatherford to cross the plate for the last of seven Builder runs in the inning.

Finally, after a scoreless bottom of the seventh, Southwestern would finish with three more runs to make it 13-3. Penland led off the eighth with a triple and was sent home on a sacrifice fly by Burton to make it 11-3. Then, a walk to Jo. Crabtree allowed Will Johannsen to come to the dish and smoke a double into the gap between left and center, driving Jo. Crabtree around the bases to score. Sesang Yun pinch hit for the Builders and tripled home Johannsen to make it 13-3 entering the bottom of the frame. Bethany was unable to score, making it a 13-3 final score in eight innings via the 10-run rule. 

In addition to Seboldt's outstanding day (4-for-5, 3 2B, 2 RBI) with the bat, Penland (3-for-5, 3B, 2 2B, RBI) was stellar, as well. The trio of Jo. Crabtree, Trevor Abitia and Weatherford each tallied a pair of hits in the effort, while the entire remainder of the starting nine had at least one hit in the triumph. Ten of Southwestern's 18 hits on the day were of the extra-base variety, including eight doubles.

"Our offense finally was able to put together some big innings," Dawson continued. "Tyler Seboldt has been spectacular since being moved to the leadoff spot and he showed it again today with three doubles to get us going."

Though the SC starter on the bump, Jaxon Burns (5.2 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 3 K, BB), did not earn a win for his efforts; he still put his team in position to grab their first conference victory of 2023. Braden Ash earned the win with a scoreless inning of work, and Dylan Navarrette (0.1 IP) and Trevor Sides (1 IP) rounded out the game without allowing additional tallies.

"It was a big win today," coach Dawson opined, "with two big games tomorrow that can get us back in the race in the conference."

With the win, Southwestern (7-14, 1-4 KCAC) earned their first KCAC victory of the year, as they will play two more tilts against the Swedes on Sunday. Game one will begin at 12 p.m., and the second battle will follow 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first game. The Moundbuilders will be looking to get back to just a single game under .500 in the conference slate with two wins tomorrow.

--buildersports.com--