SALINA, Kan. – The Ottawa University baseball team split its final two games of its regular season series with (RV) Kansas Wesleyan University on Sunday afternoon at Dean Evans Stadium. Kansas Wesleyan won game one of the double header, 14-4 in eight innings, but the Braves rebounded to take game two, 8-5. The Braves' win in game three of the series broke the Coyotes 14 game winning streak.

Game One
Kansas Wesleyan took the 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Ottawa cut into the Coyote lead in the top of the second. Pedro Astacio singled down the right field line. Connor Jeffers scored Astacio with a triple to right and OU was within, 2-1.

The Coyotes answered with eight runs in the bottom of the second inning to increase their lead to 10-1. In the top of the fourth Ottawa scored a run on a double to center by Tyler Farnham. His hit scored Jeffers and OU was down 10-2.

In the top of the fifth, Ottawa pushed two more runs across home plate to cut into the KWU lead. Zachary Spradlin doubled to right. Jonah Weisner hit a double to left-center, scoring Spradlin to cut the deficit to 10-3. Weisner then stole third and crossed home plate on a ground out to short by Astacio to get OU within, 10-4.

That is all the closer the Braves would get to the Coyotes. KWU scored one run in the bottom of the fifth and then three in the bottom of the eighth to take the game, 14-4.

Inside the Box Score

• Connor Jeffers and Jonah Weisner led OU with two hits apiece.
• Flynn Ridley, John Walsh, Cameron Sistrunk and Matt Nolan made appearances on the mound for the Braves.

Game Two
Ottawa jumped out to the early lead in the top of the first inning. Cole Broughton hit his 13^th home run of the season to give the Braves a 1-0 lead. Zachary Spradlin reached first on a bunt and then moved to third on a double down the left field line by Jonah Weisner.

Pedro Astacio doubled down the right field line, scoring Spradlin and Weisner and Ottawa led 3-0. Back-to-back walks by Connor Jeffers and Liam Vulcano loaded the bases. Tyler Farnham's single up the middle scored Astacio and Jeffers and Ottawa had a 5-0 lead.

In the top of the third, the Braves increased their lead. Lukas Rich doubled down the right field line. A sacrifice bunt by Nicholas Sizemore moved Rich to third. Vulcano scored Rich with a single to right-center to give the Braves a 6-0 lead.

The scoring didn't stop there. In the top of the fourth, Spradlin hit his third home run of the season to increase the OU lead to 7-0. KWU cut into the Brave lead with a run in the bottom of the fourth and four runs in the bottom of the fifth, 7-5.

Spradlin hit home run no. 4 in the top of the sixth, giving the Braves an insurance run and an 8-5 lead over the Coyotes.

The Braves held the Coyotes scoreless in the their final two at bats of the game and the Braves took the 8-5 victory.

Inside the Box Score

• Zachary Spradlin went 3-for-4 at the plate, scoring three runs and finishing with two RBI.
• Tyler Farnham and Pedro Astacio had two RBI apiece.
• Devin Holmes pitched two innings, striking out four.
• Josh Perez earned his third win of the season, pitching 2.2 inning sand striking out three.
• Eric Reece recorded save no. 4, pitching 2.1 innings.

Who is Next
Ottawa (29-14, 17-9) returns to the diamond on Saturday, April 22 to start its three game series against Southwestern College in Winfield, Kan. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.