OTTAWA, Kan. – The Ottawa University baseball team was defeated by no. 16 Kansas Wesleyan University on Sunday afternoon at Alumni Park. Ottawa fell in game one, 5-3, in 10 innings and game two, 8-6.
Game One
Ottawa struck first, breaking the 0-0 tie in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Cole Broughton walked and then moved to third on a double to center by
Dylan Garcia.
Johnny Vulcano singled to short stop, scoring Broughton, and giving OU a 1-0 lead.
The Coyotes answered with two runs in the top of the seventh, taking a 2-1 lead. The Braves responded in their bottom half of the inning.
Brent Swearingen doubled to right and advanced to third on a fly out by
Jeremy Freeman, Jr. Tyler Farnham scored Swearingen with a single to left and the contest was tied, 2-2.
Ottawa had an opportunity to win the game in the bottom of the ninth. The Braves had runners at first and second, but OU was not able to push one of those runs across home plate and the game went into the 10
th.
The Coyotes scored three runs in the 10
th, taking a 5-3 lead over OU. Ottawa attempted to rally. Broughton singled to right and moved to third on a single by Garcia.
Jackson Alaniz doubled down the left field line, scoring Broughton and OU was within 5-3. The Braves were not able to complete the comeback and KWU took the 5-3 victory.
Inside the Box Score
- Ottawa finished the game with 13 hits
- Brent Swearningen and Cole Broughton finished the game with three hits apiece.
- Zack Melendez pitched five innings, striking out seven and only allowing three hits.
Game Two
Kansas Wesleyan took the lead in the top of the first inning, 1-0. Ottawa answered in the bottom of the first.
Cole Broughton led off with a home run over the left field fence and the game was tied, 1-1.
Brent Swearingen singled up the middle.
Dylan Garcia doubled to left center, moving Swearingen to third.
Jackson Alaniz hit a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Swearingen and OU had a 2-1 lead.
Johnny Vulcano reached first on an error by the Coyote third baseman.
Blaine Thomas followed that with a double down the left field line, scoring Vulcano and Garcia to give the Braves a 4-1 lead.
After a scoreless second inning, KWU pushed three runs across home plage to tie the game, 4-4. The Braves broke the tie in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Tyler Farnham singled to center and moved to second with a single to left by Broughton.
Brent Swearingen singled to center, scoring Farnham and OU had a 5-4 lead.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Braves extended their lead. Alaniz doubled down the left field line, bringing in
Brandon Kelley as a courtesy runner. Kelley moved 90 feet from home on a wild pitch.
Blaine Thomas singled to left, scoring Kelley to give OU a 6-4 lead.
Kansas Wesleyan tied the game with two runs in the top of the sixth, 6-6, and then took the lead with two more runs in the bottom of the seventh, 8-6.
OU tried to rally in the bottom of the seventh. Garcia singled to left and Alaniz was hit by a pitch, giving Ottawa runners on first and second. The Braves, however, were not score those two runs and KWU took the 8-6 victory.
Inside the Box Score
- Ottawa finished the game with 12 hits.
- Cole Broughton had three hits in four at bats. He scored a run and had an RBI.
- Blaine Thomas led OU with three RBI.
- Josh Perez pitched in 2.2 innings, striking out two in the loss.
Who is Next
Ottawa (6-7, 0-2) finishes its series with (16) Kansas Wesleyan University on Monday, Feb. 19 at Alumni Park. Game time is set for 12:00 p.m.
