Wildcats Begin Season With Three Losses to #16 Kansas Wesleyan

BALDWIN CITY, Kan. – Kicking off non-conference play, the Baker baseball team dropped three games to No. 16 Kansas Wesleyan on Thursday and Friday by scores of 4-3, 6-1 and 16-3.

Game One - L, 4-3

Beginning the three-game series, Caden Pogue took the hill and gave up just two runs on one hit in four innings of work. Trent Davidson and Gage Callaghan then combined for the final four innings.

Offensively, Baker had seven total hits in the game with Jaxon Holzem leading the way with two hits in the game, while Sevon Battle picked up Baker's only two RBI's of the game.

KWU got things going early on a two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning, but then did not score again until scoring one in the seventh and one in the eighth to hold a 4-0 lead heading into the ninth.

Sevon Battle tripled down the right field line to score two runs in the top of the ninth, and after a wild pitched scored to cut the lead to 4-3. Baker could not scratch across another run in the inning as they fell in game one of the series, 4-3.

Game Two - L, 6-1

Kansas Wesleyan then traveled to Baldwin City on Friday for a doubleheader. Holzem got the call on the hill, throwing a strong 5.2 innings where he collected 10 strikeouts in the game. Jake Miller then entered the game and threw the final 1.1 innings. Jaidon Bowers was able to lead the team with two hits in the matchup, while Jon Jenkins picked up Baker's only RBI of the game.

The Coyotes were able to get solo home runs in the first fourth and fifth innings to lead 3-0, but then Jon Jenkins got Baker on the board with a solo shot of his own in the bottom half of the fifth. By the end of the game, Kansas Wesleyan was able to tack on three more runs as they went on to win game two of the series, 6-1 and took a 2-0 lead in the series.

Game Three - L, 16-3

Evan Gottstein got the start in game three, collecting six strikeouts, while Kole Starlin, Kolden Howerton, Gavin Alvarez, Eden Schimmel and Erich Pouch also pitched in the seven-inning game. Despite picking up three more hits than the Coyotes, Baker fell in game three, 16-3.

In the first four innings, KWU was able to jump out to another lead at 4-0, but in the Bottom of the fourth, Jenkins hit his second solo home run of the day and put Baker on the scoreboard. Javier Aguirre cut the lead to 5-2 on a solo home run followed by a triple from Eli Young as Baker trailed just 5-3 after five innings.

Kansas Wesleyan then took advantage of some mistakes from the Wildcats and pushed their lead to 16-3 and run-ruled Baker in game three of the series.

Baker begins the season with a record of 0-3 and will be back in action on Thursday, Feb. 8^th, when they travel to Waleska, Ga., where they will take on Indiana Southeast at 1:00 p.m.

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