MARION, Ind. -- Indiana Wesleyan University baseball began Crossroads League play on Friday night and won both ends of the doubleheader against visiting Saint Francis (Ind.) at Wildcat Field.
Indiana Wesleyan (11-11, 2-0 CL) won the opening game 5-4 in 9 innings and then pitched a 2-0 shutout in the nightcap. The games were the first two at Wildcat Field this season.
In the first game, Saint Francis (5-14, 0-2 CL) tied the score 3-3 in the sixth inning and then took a 4-3 lead in the top of the seventh inning. Indiana Wesleyan was down to their final out when Nick Koh (SO/Auckland, N.Z.) laid down a bunt and reached on an error. Kaleb DeFreese (SO/Bristol, Ind.) entered to run for Koh and he stole second to put himself in scoring position. Preston Fugita (SR/Littleton, Colo.) hit a sharp ground ball to short which was fielded but the throw went wide allowing Fugita to score the tying run and send the game into extra innings.
In the ninth inning, Jacob Murphy (SR/Hudsonville, Mich.) walked to lead off the inning. Following a fly out, Koh laid down a sac bunt to advance Murphy to second base. Fugita was next and he lofted a hit to right-center field and Murphy beat the throw home for the 5-4 walk-off victory.
Fugita was 2-for-4 with a walk and two RBIs while Murphy was 2-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored. Justin Sovine (SR/Wadsworth, Ohio) allowed four runs in 7.0 innings while walking one and striking out eight. Matt Blankenship (JR/Cincinnati, Ohio) earned the win in relief as he did not allow a run in 2.0 innings of work.
In the second game, Indiana Wesleyan scored the only runs of the contest in the second inning. Jack Collingsworth, Jr. (JR/Apple Valley Calif.) put down a bunt to advance both base runners but the pitcher threw the ball well over the first baseman’s head. The error allowed Craig Nesselhuf (JR/Littleton, Colo.) and Murphy to score on the play.
Those runs were all Brandon Watkins (SO/Indianapolis, Ind.) needed. He pitched six plus innings and did not surrender a run on four hits and two walks. Watkins struck out nine Cougars. Watkins started the seventh inning but he hit the first USF batter and was replaced by Blankenship. The first batter Blankenship faced singled and then a bunt put the tying run at second base with one out. But Blankenship escaped the threat with a strikeout and a ground out to earn his second save of the season.
Thomas Barnes (SR/Marion, Ind.) finished 2-for-3with a stolen base while Nesselhuf was 2-for-3 with a run scored. Koh was 1-for-1 with a walk.
Indiana Wesleyan and Saint Francis will battle again tomorrow at 1 p.m. in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
