Fulton, Mo., April 24, 2021 – The Westminster College baseball team came into Saturdays double header with the Iowa Wesleyan University Tigers looking to honor four senior players for their dedication and hard work. Pitcher Skyler Dickneite, unfortunately had his senior season cut short due to injury, was honored in between games along with pitcher Andrew Boessen, catcher Derek Shikles and outfielder Tanner Nowatzki. The Blue Jays, who dropped game one 7-3, would come out in game two and on the strength of those seniors took the game 5-1 and earned a split on the day.
Game 1 BOXSCORE
Game one got off to a great start for the Blue Jays as back to back doubles by Steven Diaz and senior Derek Shikles would stake the Jays to a 1-0 lead before a single out had been recorded. Shikles would eventually come around to score on a passed ball to make the score 2-0 in favor of the Blue Jays.
The Tigers would get a run back on a solo home run in the 4th inning to make it 2-1. The Jays would use a Tiger error, another passed ball and a Shikles RBI single to get that run back in the bottom half of the inning as the score would sit at 3-1.
The 5th inning was all Iowa Wesleyan as they would plate three runs to take a 4-3 lead. It was a lead they would not give back. They added three more runs in the 7th to take a 7-3 lead that they would hold until the final out.
Shikles led the Blue Jay attack going 3-5 with a double, a run scored and two RBI's. Hunter Mulholland picked up two basehits for the Jays.
Chase Holder (1-3) worked 6 innings giving up 4 runs on 8 hits. He walked 1 and struck out 9 in picking up the loss. Jacob Waelterman came on in relief and pitched 3 innings giving up 3 runs on 6 hits. He walked 2 and struck out 4.
Game 2 BOXSCORE
The Blue Jays got off to a strong start again in game two striking for a run in the bottom of the 1st inning. Diaz would again lead off the game with a double and after a fly out Payton Whitehead would single sharply up the middle sending Diaz to third. Mulholland would pick up the RBI with a sacrifice fly to bring Diaz home and the Jays led 1-0.
Senior Drew Boessen meanwhile was settling in for a very productive day on the mound. He would face the minimum through 5 innings allowing only a walk that was later erased in a double play. He took a no-hitter into the sixth inning but would finally yield an 2 out RBI double with a runner that reached via error coming around to score. He stranded the runner getting out of the inning and it was the last run the Tigers would get in game two. They put runners on second and third with one out but Boessen would slam the door striking out the next two batters.
As Boessen was cruising, the Blue Jays would come through at the plate in the bottom of the 5th inning when Diaz would single and Shikles would double putting runners at second and third for Whitehead who would smash a double to the gap in center to score both runners for a 3-0 lead.
After the Tigers got their run, the senior Shikles would add an exclamation point on his already good senior day in the bottom of the 7th inning smashing a 2-run home run to left field to pad the Blue Jay lead to 5-1.
That was more than Boessen would need as he would go the distance for his second straight complete game victory. Boessen (2-2) worked 9 innings giving up 4 hits and an unearned run. He would strike out 11 and walk only 1 in his senior day masterpiece. He was backed by his battery mate and fellow senior Shikles who turned in a 5-8 day with 2 doubles, a home run and 3 RBI's to power the Blue Jay offense. Diaz would contribute a 3-3 day with a walk and three runs scored at the top of the Blue Jay lineup. Whitehead also had a multi-hit game going 2-4 with two RBI's.
