Westminster sophomore Adam Mundle put a mark in the Westminster game-day record book with three triples in Sunday's 15-1 short-game series finale win over Eureka. The previous record was two triples in a game held by multiple Blue Jay hitters. The Westminster Blue Jays ended the series with a sweep, bringing them to 9-4 in conference play and 6-3 in division play. The Blue Jays currently hold an 18-10 season record.
Junior Tanner Branneky led off the scoring with a two-run shot over the left line fence in the second inning, and freshman Ryan Klimkiewicz brought in sophomore Nick Bohlmann in the fourth inning with an RBI single down the left-field line to take a 3-0 lead over Eureka.
In the bottom of the fourth, Eureka scored their only run of the game with an RBI ground out to shortstop.
Sophomore Nick Cessna hit an RBI single up the middle in the fifth inning, followed by an RBI fielder's choice from Bohlmann to take a 5-1 lead.
The Blue Jays added three more runs in the sixth inning starting with a two-RBI triple to right field coming from Mundle. Senior Deion Hughes then batted in Mundle to take an 8-1 advantage.
The team had seven runners cross the plate off five hits in the seventh inning to go up 15-1. Ta. Branneky scored Bohlmann with a RBI double to left-center, and with bases loaded, Mundle hit his third triple of the afternoon to break the Westminster game-day triples record and score three runs. Hughes then hit a triple of his own to right-center to bring home Mundle. A throwing error by Eureka's shortstop scored Hughes, and the final run of the inning came from Cessna's RBI single to center field.
Eureka started the bottom of the seventh with a double down the left-field line. After two outs, a fielding error put another run on base for Eureka and moved their runner to third. The Blue Jays made up for the error with a quick throw from shortstop to first to grab the final out of the inning, ending the game two innings early with a 15-1 win.
The Blue Jays recorded 15 hits on 38 at-bats. Mundle went 3-for-5 from the plate with three triples, five RBI and two runs scored. Ta. Branneky went 3-for-4 with three RBI, and Cessna had three hits on five at-bats with two RBI.
Defensively, junior Nolan Bax recorded 11 putouts at home plate.
Ta. Branneky (1-1) grabbed his first win of the season on the mound after pitching 5.1 innings. He struck out nine of his 21 batters faced and allowed just two hits.
The Blue Jays next travel to Jacksonville, Ill. for a conference doubleheader at MacMurray College on Saturday, April 23. First pitch is at 1:00 pm.
