LINCOLN, NEB.  - The Indiana Wesleyan baseball team split a pair of games to open the NAIA Opening Round in Lincoln, Nebraska on Monday. The Wildcats defeated 5-seed Mount Mercy 3-0 behind Brock Buckley's dominant performance on the mound, before falling to 1-seed and 7th ranked Webber International 5-4 in the nightcap. 



 

THE ESSENTIALS

 

• Location: Lincoln, Neb. | Sherman Field
• Records: IWU - 30-21 | MMU - 33-22 | WIU - 42-13
• Game One Score: IWU def. MMU 3-0
• Game Two Score: WIU def. IWU 5-4
• NAIA Opening Round : IWU - 4 | MMU | 5 | WIU - 1

 

 

GAME ONE HIGHLIGHTS

 

 

• After 5 scoreless innings for both squads, Nick Wiley opened the scoring with a RBI sac fly that scored Grant Payson.
• Tanner Smith kept the scoring going in the 6th with an RBI single that brought Greg Vineyard home.
• Wiley added an insurance run in the 8th with a solo home run to left field.
• Grant Payson went 2-3 and Nick WIley was 1-2 with 2 RBIs.
• Brock Buckley pitched a gem on the mound. He threw a complete game shutout, allowing just 1 hit, 0 walks, and fanned 11 batters.

 

GAME TWO HIGHLIGHTS

 

 

• The Warriors got on the board first with a RBI single in the 2nd.
• IWU finally cracked the scoreboard in the 5th with a Ty Mathews RBI double that scored Tanner Smith and Colin Yoder.
• Caleb Engelsman brought Ky Wu home with a RBI fielder's choice.
• Grant Payson capped a 4 run inning with an RBI single to right center that brought Mathews around.
• Webber International scored a run in both the 6th and 7th innings before taking the lead in the 7th with 2 runs. The Wildcats were unable to plate the tying run, dropping a thrilling contest to the 7th ranked team in the NAIA.
• Ty Mathews was 2-5 with 2 RBIs and Grant Payson was 2-4 with 1 RBI.
• Kevin Corcoran had a solid performance in the start, going 6.1 innings, allowing just 3 earned runs and struck out 4.

 

LOOKING AHEAD

 

• The Wildcats are still alive in the Lincoln Bracket, they will face the winner of Mount Mercy vs USAO which is scheduled for 12:00 PM ET tomorrow.
• IWU will play the winner of that game at 8:00 PM ET in an elimination game.
• Live stats and video will be available at IWUWildcats.com.

 

FOLLOW THE WILDCATS

 

• Follow Athletics (@IWUWildcats): Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
• Follow Baseball (@indwesbaseball): Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

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