Haydn Brown (SR/Gardnerville, Nev.)’s walk-off single in the bottom of the eighth inning of Saturday’s opening game helped fuel Kansas Wesleyan’s four-game sweep of Iowa Wesleyan on Friday and Saturday at Dean Evans Stadium.
The Coyotes went into the bottom of the sixth inning of the third game of the series trailing 3-1 after the Tigers scored two runs in the first and another in the fifth.
Jarrett Gable (JR/Colleyville, Texas) walked and then later scored on William Dryburgh (SR/St. Joseph, Mo.)’s triple getting the Coyotes within a run. Dryburgh then scored on a wild pitch to tie things up at 3-3.
Kansas Wesleyan had a chance at winning the game in the bottom of the seventh as the Coyotes put two runners on with just one out, but a double play would end the rally.
In the bottom of the eighth, it was a 2-out rally for the Coyotes. Dryburgh singled, stole second, and after Kevin Esquilin-Cruz (JR/Trujilo Alto, Puerto Rico) walked, Brown singled to right to bring in the game-winning run.
The Coyotes blew open a 1-0 game in the final game of the series. Dustin Sipe (JR/Aztec, N.M.) drove in the first run of a 5-run third with a single. Diego Fisher (JR/Hollister, Calif.) drove in a run on a sacrifice with the bases loaded and later in the inning Gable released the bases full of Coyotes with a 3-run double.
Iowa Wesleyan got two runs back in the fourth inning, but Brown countered with a solo homer in the bottom of the inning. The Tigers got single runs in the fifth and sixth innings to get within a 7-4 margin.
KT Gearlds (JR/Ingram, Texas) got the win in the 4-3 win for the Coyotes, while Ethan Wilson (SR/Thackerville, Okla.) picked up the victory in the series finale.
In Friday’s series opener, Iowa Wesleyan jumped out to a 2-0 lead after an inning, but the KWU offense went crazy in the bottom of the third, plating 14 runs.
Josh Sandoval (SR/Glendale, Ariz.) led off reaching on an error and then courtesy runner Jalen Jones (SO/Katy, Texas) scored on Dryburgh’s triple. Esquilin-Cruz and Brown followed with singles setting up Tyler Triano (JR/Hollister, Calif.)’s 3-run homer, the first of three in the frame for the Coyotes. Robbie Keerner then walked before Dustin Sipe‘s homer. KWU loaded the bases again and Brown cleared with on a 3-run double. Triano singled home another run ahead of Keener’s double. Sipe homered in his second at bat of the inning, this time a 3-run shot.
The Coyotes added two more in the fourth on a 2-run homer by Dryburgh and two more in the fifth on a Reece Bishop (SO/Colorado Springs, Colo.) sacrifice and a RBI single by Sandoval.
Trent Dewyer (JR/Albuquerque, N.M.) went the distance for the win, striking out 11 to get the win.
KWU picked up a 6-2 win in the second game of the series on Friday.
Sipe got the scoring started with a homer in the second, and the Coyotes added three more in the third inning on a RBI groundout by Triano, a Keener sacrifice and a RBI double by Bishop. KWU added a run in the fourth on Brown’s single, and Esquilin-Cruz was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the fifth to drive in a run.
Branden Voytko (JR/El Paso, Texas) would go the distance in his first career start for the Coyotes, allowing two runs on three hits while striking out 13 against no walks.
Brown and Dryburgh would lead the Coyote bats for the series with seven hits each. Sipe drove in eight runs and hit three homers. Dryburgh had a series cycle with two doubles, two triples and a homer as part of his seven hits.
KWU’s 21-game homestand continues on Monday as the Coyotes host Park University at 2 p.m. at Dean Evans Stadium.
