MARION, Ind. -- Indiana Wesleyan University baseball won three out of four games this weekend from University of Saint Francis (Ind.) to earn the season series victory as IWU and Saint Francis split a doubleheader today at Wildcat Field.
Indiana Wesleyan swept Saint Francis at home on Friday and the two teams played at Wildcat Field for the second day in a row on Saturday. The Saint Francis field was not playable due to the rain from earlier in the week. Indiana Wesleyan played both ends of today’s doubleheader as the visiting team.
In the opener, Indiana Wesleyan scored the game’s first runs in the top of the fourth inning. With runners on second and third, Peter Engle hit a sac fly to left to score Brice Davis. The next batter was Cameron Screeton who ripped a single to right field to score Craig Dollens for a 2-0 lead.
The Wildcats doubled their advantage in the fifth inning with two more runs for a 4-0 lead. AJ Harris led the inning off and reached second base when the shortstop air mailed a throw on the putout attempt. Harris scored on the next pitch as Quinn Nofziger singled through the hole at second. Nofziger stole second base on the next pitch and then proceeded to steal third on the very next pitch. The third pitch of the at bat to Preston Fugita was a fly ball to right field that scored Nofziger.
Saint Francis was able to get back both of those runs in the home half of the fifth to cut the deficit to 4-2. Saint Francis threatened in the bottom of the seventh with the tying run on first and two outs. But starting pitcher Michael Caley finished the game as he induced a ground ball up the middle that he fielded and threw to first for the victory.
Nofziger ended the game 2-for-4 with one RBI and three stolen bases while Davis was 2-for-3 with a run scored. Caley scattered eight hits and two walks with eight strikeouts in the 7.0 inning complete game.
Saint Francis salvaged one game in the series with a 4-2 victory in the finale.
Saint Francis scored a single run in the third inning but Indiana Wesleyan took a 2-1 lead in the top of the fourth. Phillip Lougheed tied the game with a single through the infield to score Peter Engle and Harris followed with a bases loaded single that scored Cameron Screeton for the 2-1 lead with one out. But an infield popup and a fielder’s choice ended the IWU threat.
Those runs left on base came back to haunt the Wildcats as the Cougars scored three runs in the fifth to claim a 4-2 advantage. IWU managed just one hit over the final two innings to lose the final game of the series.
Bryan Beachy took the loss for the Wildcats. He allowed four earned runs over 5.0 innings. He gave up nine hits and two walks but struck out 10 Cougars. Harris was the lone Wildcat with a multi-hit game as he was 2-for-3.
Indiana Wesleyan will remain at Wildcat Field in their next doubleheader as the team hosts Bethel (Ind.) College at 4 p.m. on Tuesday.
