WICHITA, Kan. – On Tuesday afternoon, the Southwestern College baseball team was on the road to battle the Friends University Falcons in Wichita for the Builders' fourth Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) tilt of the 2023 season. Some of the same woes as this weekend's series against McPherson hindered the Moundbuilders in this midweek battle, as they allowed 13 runs en route to their fourth straight conference loss, 13-8.

In a strong top of the first inning, Southwestern was able to score the first two runs of the ballgame with an RBI triple from Marcus Burton, which sent home Tyler Seboldt, and then a wild pitch let Burton tally the second run of the frame. Unfortunately, another dreadful bottom half of the first was forthcoming for the SC defense, as they surrendered five runs to the Falcons. An RBI single, an error, a passed ball and a run-scoring double led to the 5-2 Builder deficit entering the second inning.

After a leadoff single and stolen base by Trevor Abitia, he found himself at third base with one out. He crossed the plate on an RBI groundout by Andrew Brown, which made it a 5-3 game entering the latter half of the second. Friends would erase that tally, making it 6-3, with an RBI single in the bottom of the second.

Southwestern would score again in the top of the third, as they benefitted from a Landon Tinsman run-scoring single to right field. The hit brought home Josh Crabtree to give the Moundbuilders their fourth run. Shutdown innings were not achievable for the Builders, though, as Friends grabbed a pair of runs to go up 8-4 after three. They scored each of the runs on a two-run single through the left side.

Held off the board in the fourth, Southwestern would allow three more Falcon runs in the bottom half. A run-scoring single and two bases-loaded walks made it a seven-run game at 11-4 for the hosts.

That would not close the door on an SC comeback, however, as they were able to pick up three runs in the top of the fifth with an RBI double by Jo. Crabtree and a two-run homer by Will Johannsen to left field.

After a scoreless bottom of the fifth, the Builders would tally their eighth run on a sacrifice fly in the top of the sixth by Joseph Finder, which brought home Seboldt. That would be the final run that Southwestern would score in the tilt, as they gave up two more runs to the Falcons in the late innings to make it a 13-8 final.

Seboldt, Finder and Crabtree tallied two hits for the Builders in the loss, as four other Builders tallied one, including Burton, Johannsen, Abitia and Tinsman. Four of the Builders' 10 hits were extra-base hits, as Johannsen homered, Burton tripled, and both Finder and Jo. Crabtree doubled.

Pitching struggled to contain the Falcons offense in the loss, as starting pitcher Jo. Crabtree surrendered eight runs on nine hits in just two innings. Then, Jaxon Burns attempted to stop the onslaught, but allowed three runs on three hits over 1.2 innings of work. Jared Stoffel was the most effective arm for the Moundbuilders in the game, as he allowed just a single hit over 2.1 innings and struck out a pair of hitters. Reyden Rull finished the last two frames, allowing two runs on five hits.

The loss puts Southwestern (6-14, 0-4 KCAC) in a bit of a hole to start the conference slate, as they have dropped their opening four battles in an ultra-competitive KCAC.

--buildersports.com--