WINFIELD, Kan. – On Tuesday, the Southwestern College baseball team returned to the diamond for another Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) tilt against the Falcons of Friends University. It was the second time this year that the two teams squared off, and the first time in 2023 that a battle between the two sides had taken place in Winfield at Broadway Sports Complex. After a highly competitive first six innings, the seventh frame did not treat Southwestern well, as they surrendered 10 total runs in the stanza. Seven of those were unearned tallies, as the Builders were run-ruled in the seventh by a final score of 13-2.

The Falcons made their presence known in the first inning, scoring the game's opening run on a run-scoring single into right-center field. Then, though, neither side could manage any offense until inning number three.

Southwestern put together a nice frame in the bottom of the third, though they were aided by a hit-by-pitch, a fielding error and a bases-loaded walk in the inning. Chris Weatherford was responsible for the lone SC hit in the frame, as he doubled to right field to get the inning started with one out. After Joseph Finder's HBP, London Penland reached base on a fielding error by the Falcon second baseman. Then, Marcus Burton provided a walk with the bases loaded to drive in the Moundbuilders' first run. A sacrifice fly from Josh Crabtree would bring home Finder in the following plate appearance, as SC grabbed a 2-1 lead entering the middle innings.

Friends would be able to tie the game in the top of the fifth after a quiet fourth inning from both squads. After a double and a single, putting runners at the corners with no outs, the Falcons grounded into a double play that brought the tying tally across the dish, making it 2-2 in the middle of the fifth inning.

The offense for SC had hit a standstill at that point in the tilt, as the squad had only recorded one hit since the third inning when they scored both of their runs. That left the door open for Friends, as they tacked on a run in the top of the sixth to retake the advantage. A sacrifice fly to center with runners at second and third made it a 3-2 ballgame, but the Builders would escape without allowing further damage.

An inning of disappointment would ensue for the Moundbuilders in the top of the seventh. The Falcons would send 14 hitters to the plate in the inning, as they scored 10 runs on seven hits and two errors committed by SC in the inning. With the massive inning for the Falcons, they were tasked with stopping Southwestern from scoring more than a single run in the bottom of the seventh to end the game. They did that and the Builders were dispatched in seven frames, 13-2.

Only three hits were recorded by the Moundbuilder lineup, as single knocks from Weatherford, Trevor Abitia and Noah Prince made up the list of hits. Burton and Jo. Crabtree earned the team's RBIs with a walk and a sac fly, as the offense did not have much to write home about on Tuesday.

Jo. Crabtree faced the Falcons for the second time this season in his start on the bump, carving out a respectable five innings of work. He allowed only two runs on four hits and struck out three. He also issued three free passes. Reyden Rull was tagged with the loss after walking two batters and hitting another with a pitch. One of his three surrendered runners scored what would ultimately be the winning run. Jacob Woodburn pitched the sixth and two-thirds of the seventh, as the Builder squad's wheels fell off. He gave up two earned runs, but eight runs overall across 1.2 innings of work. Then, Braden Ash gave up two unearned runs to end the seventh frame on three hits.

While things are looking grizzly for the Moundbuilders (8-23, 2-13 KCAC), coming off of their eighth loss in a row, the squad must pick their heads up and be ready for this weekend's road series in Sterling, Kan. against the Warriors of Sterling College. A single nine-inning game will be played on Friday, March 31 at 3 p.m., and then a doubleheader will take place on Saturday, Apr. 1, beginning at 12 p.m.

--buildersports.com--