GREAT BEND – Kansas Wesleyan fell to the Ottawa Braves 6-5 on Thursday night in the KCAC Tournament at the Great Bend Sports Complex.

The loss drops the Coyotes into the loser’s bracket side of the draw, that switches to a unique bracket situation due to five teams remaining in the tournament. KWU will face top-seeded Oklahoma Wesleyan who was stunned by McPherson 6-5 earlier in the day.

Wesleyan jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning as Josh Sandoval (SR/Glendale, Ariz.) doubled to score William Dryburgh (SO/St. Joseph, Mo.) and a wild pitch allowed the second run to score.

Ottawa scored a run in the bottom of the second to make it 2-1, and the score would hold until the sixth.

The Coyotes added a run in the sixth when Dalton Whitaker (SR/Edmond, Okla.) singled and later scored when Austin Cross (JR/Montgomery, Texas) stole second, but the throw was errant.

Wesleyan added two more in the seventh as Tristan Devane (FR/Frostproof, Fla.) led off the inning with a walk and then Sisipako Vehikite (JR/Santa Clara, Calif.) reached on an error. A wild pitch allowed the first run to score and Dryburgh drove in the second on a sacrifice fly.

Ottawa scored five in the bottom of the seventh to take the 6-5 lead.

The Coyotes put the go-ahead run on in the eighth, but could not get a run in.

Wesleyan had seven hits in the game, two by Whitaker.

Oscar Sanchez (JR/Celina, Texas) went six innings for the Coyotes allowing a run on six hits with seven strikeouts, but did not factor in the decision.