LINCOLN, NEB.  - The Indiana Wesleyan baseball team powered their way to a NAIA Opening Round victory on Tuesday night, getting a pair of two run home runs from Nick WIiey and Ty Mathews to help IWU overcome deficits of 3-0 and 6-5


 

THE ESSENTIALS

 

• Location: Lincoln, Neb. | Sherman Field
• Records: IWU - 31-21 | USAO - 35-220
• Final Score: IWU def. USAO 11-9
• NAIA Opening Round : IWU - 4 | USAO | 3

 

 

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

 

 

• The Drovers took an early lead, platting 3 runs in the top of the 1st to put Indiana Wesleyan in an early hole.
• The Wildcats didn't answer until the 3rd when Jay Tomes scored on a USAO error. Colin Yoder crossed on another error from the Drovers, Ty Mathews tied the game on a Caleb Engelsman sac fly, and Nick Wiley gave IWU the lead with a 2 RBI home run to left center.
• USAO scored 2 runs in the 4th and 1 in the 6th to retake the lead at 6-5.
• After Kyle Wu reached on a 4 pitch walk, Ty Mathews sent the first pitch he saw into the trees in left center to put the Wildcats back on top. Trevor Vojtkofsky brought Engelsman and Grant Payson across with a single to center.
• Runs from Wu and Jackson Mott with 2 outs in the 8th gave the Wildcats a pair of important insurance runs.
• The Drovers got 3 runs from a 3 run homer in the 9th but Cam LaFuze slammed the door on their comeback with a strikeout looking to advance Indiana Wesleyan.
• Ty Mathews had 3 hits, 2 RBIs, and scored twice. Engelsman, Vojtkofsky, and Wiley each had 2 RBIs.
• Gabe Stout, Gibson Adema, Caleb Olsen, and Cam LaFuze all saw time on the mound. Olsen picked up the win with 2 strikeouts in 1.1 IP, allowing 0 hits, and 0 runs.

 

LOOKING AHEAD

 

• The Wildcats will face 2-seed Concordia (Neb.) at 1:00 PM ET on Wednesday.
• The winner will face 1-seed Webber International at 5:00 PM ET.
• 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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