4/11/23- Ozark, Mo (US Ballpark)- The Westminster Blue Jays baseball team played Baptist Bible College in a doubleheader. Westminster won game 1 7-6 and game 2 10-2.
Game 1- Baptist Bible College: Box Score
Game 1 for the Blue Jays was a pitching duel. Starting for the Blue Jays Ben Kennebeck (St. Louis, Mo/ St. Louis University High) pitched a strong game. Kennebeck had a rough first inning but turned around and shut down the Patriots. Kennebeck finished the game pitching 4 innings giving up 6 hits and striking out 1 batter. Coming in relief for Kennebeck was Freshman Derek Archer (St. Charles, Mo / Francis Howell North), Brian Henke (Silex, Mo/ Silex), and Hayden Sanborn (Arnold, Mo/ St. John Vianney). Archer pitched 1 inning facing 8 batters giving up 2 hits and striking out 1. Henke pitched 1 inning facing 5 batters and only gave up 2 hits. Sanborn pitched 1 inning facing 4 batters and struck out 1. Henke came out with the win.
Offensively the Blue Jays got 7 hits and 7 runs. Steven Diaz (Highland, Il/ Highland), Skyler Bushey (Saint Albans, Vt/ Bellows Free Academy), and Matt Lukins (Clark, Mo/ Rock Bridge) led the Blue Jays Offensively Diaz went 2-5 while scoring the first run of the game. Bushey went 2-3 with 3 RBIs and hit a double. Lukins coming off a hot streak over the weekend kept it alive by going 2-3 helping the Blue Jays turn over the lineup once again.
Game 2- Baptist Bible College: Box Score
Starting for the Blue Jays in game 2 Freshman Coy Smith (Marshall, Mo/ Marshall). Smith in his second Start as a Blue Jay pitched 4.1 innings facing 21 batters striking out 3 of them and only giving up 3 hits. In relief for Smith were Brooks Chandler (De Land, FL/ DeLand) and Jake Waeltermann (Barnhart, Mo/ Seckman). Chandler went 1.2 innings facing 7 batters striking out 1. Waeltermann pitched 1 inning facing 5 batters and striking out 1.
The Blue Jays were able to outperform themselves in the first game by getting 13 hits and scoring 10 runs. Troy Romero (Trophy Club, TX/ Byron Nelson), Payton Whitehead (Belleville, Il/ Belleville West), and Chris Louie (Calgary, Alberta Canada/ William Aberhart) lead the offense for the Blue Jays in the second game. Romero went 2-3 scoring 2 runs with a triple and an RBI. Whitehead went 2-3 scoring 2 runs and getting 2 RBIs. Whitehead also got a stolen base. Louie went 2-3 scoring 1 run and getting 2 RBIs and getting himself a walk.
The Blue Jays will be back in action on the road Saturday, April 15th. The Blue Jays face Webster, a conference opponent. The first game starts at 1 pm and the second follows.
