Fulton, Mo 2/19/2024- The Westminster College baseball team hosted Nebraska Wesleyan University in the home opener- They would play a three-game series, the doubleheader on Sunday was played at Battle High School in Columbia, Missouri, and game three on Monday was back at Saucier Field on the campus of Westminster College. The Prairie Wolves would sweep the Sunday doubleheader, winning games one, 11-1, and two, 11-10. The Blue Jays would come back to win game 3 on Monday, 8-7. Westminster moves to 3-3 on the young season and Nebraska Wesleyan starts their season 2-1.
Game 1- Box Score
The Prairie Wolves would come out swinging scoring 2 runs in the top of the first inning and would go on to win the game 11-1. The Blue Jays lone run came in the bottom of the sixth inning when Austin Mayton drove in Keli'i Price on an RBI single to right field. Derek Archer got the start on the mound for the Blue Jays, we would go three and two-thirds innings, giving up five runs on seven hits.
Game 2- Box Score
Game two looked like it was going to be a repeat of game one after Nebraska Wesleyan put up an eight-run fourth inning to make it 10-1. The Blue Jays scored in the bottom of the second inning after Quin Smith hit an RBI groundout to score Keli'i Price. Price would get on after being hit by a pitch, stole second, and then advanced to third base after a wild pitch.
The Blue Jays would avoid getting run-ruled by scoring three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. William Crabtree would draw a bases-loaded walk to bring in Price. Then Matt Lukins roped an RBI double down the left field line to score Aden Pecka and Quin Smith to make it 10-4.
As the day turned into night, the Prairie Wolves bats would get cold, and the Blue Jays bats started to heat up. The Jays would tag on two more runs in the bottom of the 6th to make it 10-7. Troy Romero singled down the right field line to score Pecka. Then Payton Whitehead smashed an RBI double to right center field to score Matt Lukins and Romero.
Nebraska Wesleyan scored a run in the top of the 7th to make it 11-7. Westminster would answer in the bottom of the frame with Austin Mayton hitting a sacrifice fly to center field to score Quin Smith from third base to make it 11-8.
Payton Whitehead hit a 2-run, no-doubt home run in the bottom of the 8th to make it 11-10 and just like that, the Blue Jays were right back in it.
The Prairie Wolves would go 1,2,3 in the top of the ninth. The Blue Jays would get Austin Mayton to third base after he drew a leadoff walk and then stole second base. Matt Lukins dropped a sacrifice bunt to move him up to third base. Then the Blue Jays would ground out to second base and fly out to center field to end the game 11-10.
Game 3- Box Score
After getting swept on Sunday, the Blue Jays returned to their home field at Saucier Field for a mid-morning first pitch. Senior pitcher Bode Gebbink was on the mound for the Blue Jays, and he would go six innings, giving up two runs on four hits and striking out two.
The Blue Jays attacked early to take a 3-0 in the bottom of the first. Ryan Howard singled to right center field to score Troy Romero, who reached on a leadoff single. Chris Louie singled to right field to score Keli'i Price. Then Jason Pesold scored Howard on an RBI groundout.
Westminster would score three more runs in the bottom of the third inning to make it 6-0. Austin Mayton hit an RBI single to left field to score Price. Matt Lukins then hit a 2 RBI single to center field to score Pesold and Mayton.
Nebraska Wesleyan would score two runs in the top of the sixth and one more in the top of the seventh to cut into the Blue Jays' lead to make it 6-4.
The Blue Jays scored two runs in the bottom of the 8th inning. Payton Whitehead and Donovan Bohler drew bases loaded RBI walk to make it 8-4.
The Prairie Wolves crushed a three-run home run in the top of the ninth to make it a one-run game, 8-7. Closer, Kobe Allen would settle down and got a fly out to right field to end the game 8-7.
Bode Gebbink picked up his second win of the season to improve to 2-0 on the year. Kobe Allen picked up his first save of the season, pitching two innings and struck out three batters.
The Blue Jays will be back on the road next weekend as they head to Jackson, Mississippi, to take on Millsaps College. The first pitch for game one will be on Friday, February 23rd at 4:00 PM.
