Conway, AR 2/11/2024- The Westminster College baseball team opened their season down in Conway, Arkansas for two games against Hendrix College and two games against Belhaven University. The Blue Jays would sweep the Blazers after a 3-2 win on Friday night and a 5-2 win on Saturday. Westminster would fall 9-6 to Hendrix on Saturday.
Game One: Box Score
The Blue Jays started their season with the reigning SLIAC Newcomer of the Year, Derek Archer on the mound. He would go five innings, giving up 2 runs on 5 hits and struck out 4 batters. The Blazers would strike first in the top of the second inning to take an early 1-0 lead. The Blue Jays would plate two runs in the bottom of the fourth after Ryan Howard reached on a throwing error by the Belhaven shortstop and brought home Payton Whitehead and Jason Pesold on the play. The Blazers would tie the game 2-2 in the top of the 5th inning. Keli'I Price would hit the go-ahead home run for the Blue Jays to put them on top 3-2 in the bottom of the 6th inning. Kobe Allen would come in the final two innings to shut down the Blazers for his first save of the season as the Blue Jays won 3-2.
Game Two: Box Score
Westminster would take on the hosts Hendrix College in a shootout on Saturday morning. The Warriors put up 5 runs in the bottom of the 4th inning to go up 6-1. The Blue Jays would try to come back with Payton Whitehead hitting a home run in the top of the 6th. The Blue Jays would score a run in the 7th and 8th to make it 8-4. They would plate two more runs in the top of the 9th but would come up short and lose the game 9-6.
Game Three: Box Score
The Blue Jays would not have much time to regroup as they had to get ready for the second game of the doubleheader as they took on Belhaven once again. Bode Gebbink got the start on the mound for the Jays. He would go four and two-thirds of an inning giving up two runs on three hits and struck out three batters. The Blue Jays scored three runs in the top of the third after Payton Whitehead hit a double to left field to score Troy Romero and Jason Pesold. Keli'I Price singled to center field to score Whitehead to make 3-0. Westminster would score two more runs in the top of the 4th after Matt Lukins singled to score Aden Pecka and Jason Pesold laid down a sacrifice bunt to score Troy Romero later in the inning to put the Blue Jays up 4-0. The Blazers would score 2 runs in the bottom of the 4th inning to make it 5-2. The rain would then hit and after a lengthy rain delay, the game was called off with the Blue Jays winning 5-2.
The Blue Jays return to Fulton for a three-game series next weekend against Nebraska Wesleyan. The first pitch for the game on Saturday, February 17th is set for 12:00 PM.
