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Tabor College starting pitcher Wes Stancher unleashes a pitch in the second inning of the Bluejays? first game of last week?s home-and-home versus Kansas Wesleyan. KW bashed 18 home runs among 66 hits in the series. Stancher held the Coyotes in check for three innings, but in the fourth, Wesleyan plated seven runs. |
With only Tuesday?s visit to Wichita State remaining, the Tabor College baseball team all but wrapped up its regular season schedule with five straight losses, four of which came at the hands of Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference regular season champion Kansas Wesleyan.
The Coyotes shook off an early-week rain delay and swept Tabor 16-7, 17-6 Friday in Hillsboro, and repeated the feat 7-3, 12-0 Saturday in Salina. Tabor also picked up an 18-3 non-conference loss April 21 at Fort Hays State University.
Kansas Wesleyan?The home-and-home set started well enough for the Bluejays, as starting pitcher Wes Stancher carried a 3-3 tie into the fourth inning of the opener. But the Coyotes touched Stancher and relief pitcher Travis Schafer for seven runs in the top of the fourth inning.
K-W tacked on a four-run sixth and two more in the seventh, nullifying Tabor?s own offensive explosion, which was keyed by home runs from Tanner Stevenson, Tyson Kendrick, Mike Chaput and Andrew Cook.
The winning pitcher was Wesleyan starter Dale Harder.
The second game followed a similar script, with Tabor trailing 4-3 after the third inning. But the Coyotes scored 11 runs in the next three innings, and totaled nine home runs in the contest.
Brad Zewe took the loss, but all the umbrellas in Salina might not have turned aside the offensive torrent the Coyotes unleashed in the series.
Wesleyan totaled 66 hits in the home-and-home series, 18 of which left the yard. The Coyotes totaled 12 home runs at Tabor.
The Coyotes offense continued to roll when the series shifted to Salina, but Wesleyan?s pitchers turned out two complete games and one shutout.
Brian Dobyns won the first game Saturday 7-3, limiting the Bluejays to four hits and three runs in seven innings.
Zach Gillus, Brett Drone and Andrew Cook scored Tabor?s runs.
Brandon Mathes held Tabor to three baserunners in five innings in the second game, while the Coyotes piled up a dozen runs. Tabor?s only hit was a single by Tanner Stevenson.
Coming?Tabor?s regular-season finale at Wichita State was played April 28 at 7 p.m., and was preceded by a tailgate party set for 5 p.m.
Tabor is the fifth seed in the conference tournament and plays fourth seed Friends at 7 p.m. today (April 29), with the winner advancing to meet Kansas Wesleyan at 3 p.m. Thursday.
If Tabor drops the opener, the Bluejays will play again at 7 p.m. Thursday. The tournament follows a double-elimination format, with the remainder of the tournament to be decided Friday and Saturday.
The championship will be decided at 1 p.m. Saturday.
All games will be played at Rathert Stadium in Junction City. Admission is $5 for adults, $2 for students and military personnel and children five and under will be admitted for free.
