WICHITA, Kan. – On Tuesday, the Southwestern College baseball team played their final road game of the 2023 campaign in Wichita against the Friends University Falcons. The Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) bout featured a great pitching performance by the Falcons starter, as well as enough offense from the hosts to sink SC by a final tally of 6-2.
After a scoreless inning-and-a-half to begin the game, Friends put the first two runs of the game onto the scoreboard. An RBI double, followed by a run-scoring base hit, made it 2-0 after two full stanzas.
The Falcons did not allow a hit through the first three trips to the plate by Southwestern, and added their third run in the bottom of inning number three. The second RBI double of the game by Friends led to a 3-0 deficit for the Moundbuilders to try and erase.
The opening run of the game for the Builders was scored in the top of the fourth, as the squad also recorded their first two hits off of Falcon pitching. After a leadoff walk by Marcus Burton, Josh Crabtree singled to right field, putting two men on with no outs. Tyler Seboldt squared to bunt and beat out an attempt by the third baseman to throw him out at first. A throwing miscue on the play allowed SC to pick up a run in the form of Burton. The unearned tally made it 3-1 after three-and-a-half, as Southwestern stranded runners at second and third with no outs.
Friends tacked on another run in the fifth, after the two teams traded scoreless half-innings. An RBI groundout to the pitcher made it 4-1. The runner on base reached on a single with one out, and subsequently stole second and went to third on a wild pitch during the same at-bat, setting the Falcons up handsomely.
Single tallies from the Falcons in the seventh and eighth innings extended the lead even further, as Southwestern's offense could not string anything together. An RBI double in the seventh, and a sacrifice fly in the eighth made it 6-1 with just the ninth inning remaining.
The Moundbuilders would receive a leadoff solo homer in the top of the ninth from Noah Prince, but the following three hitters were retired, ending the game with a 6-2 count in favor of Friends on the scoreboard.
Everything was difficult on offense for the Builders in this one, as they had just seven hits across nine frames. Jo. Crabtree (2-for-4) and Seboldt (2-for-4) provided a pair of hits, apiece, while the trio of London Penland (1-for-3, BB), Joseph Finder (1-for-3) and Prince (1-for-4, HR, RBI, R) were responsible for the three other knocks that SC manufactured in the defeat.
Dylan Navarrette took the mound as a starter for the first time this year and tossed two innings of two-run work. He allowed five hits in his time on the hill. Jared Stoffel would relieve him with two innings on the bump, giving up one run on three hits in his stead. Nathan Simmons, traditionally a starter for the Moundbuilders, tossed the next three innings and afforded Friends two runs on three hits. He struck out one batter, which was the only punchout by Southwestern pitching on the day. Finally, Trevor Sides pitched the bottom of the eighth inning and allowed one run on two hits to close things out.
The Builders (8-34, 2-24 KCAC) have fallen short for the 19th straight game with the loss to the Falcons, but the squad does have the final seven games of their 2023 schedule at home in Winfield. A three-game set against the Ottawa University Braves, beginning on Saturday, Apr. 22, will have a doubleheader played on the first day starting at 12 p.m. Then, on Sunday, a single nine-inning battle will begin at 1 p.m at Broadway Sports Complex.
--buildersports.com--
