Winfield, Kan. – On Friday and Saturday, April 12/13, the Southwestern College baseball squad hosted play to the Valors of Evangel University as they honored the senior class of 2024. All three games played at Broadway Sport Complex ended in one win and two losses for the Builders.
GAME 1 – Friday 3:00 PM
In a matchup between Evangel University and Southwestern College, it was Southwestern who emerged victorious with a dominant performance on the field.
The game began with the Builders taking an early lead in the 4th inning. L. Dincola's fly out to center field brought C. Camacho home, while J. Horn's fly out added another run, putting Southwestern ahead 2-0.
In the 5th inning, Southwestern extended their lead even further. L. Penland's double to the left side brought W. Johannsen home, making it 3-0. Penland then showcased his speed, stealing third base and capitalizing on a fielding error by the third baseman to score, widening the gap to 4-0.
The final blow came in the 7th inning when Z. Boone's double down the left field line brought Penland home once again, sealing the victory for Southwestern College with a final score of 5-0.
Evangel University struggled to find their footing throughout the game, managing only 5 hits while committing 5 errors, ultimately unable to overcome Southwestern's strong offensive and defensive performance.
Game 2 – Saturday 1:00 PM
Evangel wasted no time making their presence known, as they surged ahead in the 1st inning. T. McLeod's RBI single brought R. Mitchell home, setting the tone early. E. Cook followed up with a powerful double to left center, driving in two more runs and giving Evangel a quick 3-0 lead.
The onslaught continued in the 2nd inning, with L. Loughridg's single adding another run to Evangel's tally. A throwing error by the pitcher allowed Loughridg to advance and another run to score. B. Espy's single through the right side brought Loughridg home, extending Evangel's lead to 6-0.
Despite Evangel's dominance, Southwestern College fought back in the 6th inning, as L. Dincola's single to right side brought C. Camacho home, putting Southwestern on the scoreboard.
Evangel responded swiftly in the 7th inning when J. Leaming's caught stealing attempt resulted in J. Vickers scoring, maintaining their comfortable lead at 9-1.
Southwestern made a late push in the 7th and 9th innings, capitalizing on errors to add two more runs to their total. However, it wasn't enough to overcome Evangel's early offensive barrage.
Game 3 – Saturday 4:30 PM
Once again, the Valors wasted no time getting on the scoreboard in the 1st inning, as R. Mitchell's steal of second base, followed by J. Vickers' steal of third, led to a run for Evangel due to a throwing error by the catcher, giving them an early 1-0 lead. Mitchell then capitalized on a wild pitch, advancing home to extend Evangel's lead to 2-0.
Southwestern College fought back in the 5th inning, with T. Seboldt advancing to third base on a wild pitch, allowing L. Penland to score, narrowing the gap to 2-1.
Despite both teams' efforts, the game remained a defensive battle, with neither side able to generate much offense. Evangel's solid pitching and defense, coupled with Southwestern's own defensive prowess, kept the score close throughout the game.
In the end, Evangel's early runs proved to be enough to secure the victory, as they held on to a narrow 2-1 lead until the final out.
