Wildcats Bats Stay Hot in Three-Game Sweep over Swedes

LINDSBORG, Kan. - After scoring over 12 runs in back-to-back games earlier in the week, Baker baseball totaled 41 runs in a three-game drubbing of non-conference foe Bethany this weekend with the two teams squaring off at Sauder Field on Friday, followed by a pair of seven-inning games in Lindsborg, Kan. on Saturday.

The Wildcats opened the weekend with a 9-1 win on Friday in Baldwin City before posting consecutive 16-run outings on the road on Saturday, sweeping the series on scores of 16-4 and 16-9.

Eli Young continued his recent red-hot tear with his second straight multi-homer game on Friday and added two RBI on Saturday to bring the senior slugger's weekly total to 13 RBI with five home runs and three doubles. He had two home runs and four RBI in BU's 12-5 win over Kansas Christian on Wednesday.

BU 9, BC 1
Playing a single, nine-inning game at Sauder on Friday, Baker capitalized on 14 walks issued by a Swedes pitcher and Young's back-to-back jacks to take the series opener comfortably.

Brady Friend pitched a solid five innings, allowing just one run to earn his second win of the spring. Kole Starlin, Brayden Youkon and Vaughn Wells all pitched at least one inning of scoreless relief.

The Swedes actually outhit BU, 8-7 in the game and were first to the scoreboard with a run in the top of the second. A wild pitch and a sac fly from Jackson Truman put the Wildcats in front the third.

Young drilled a two-run shot in the bottom of the fifth and followed with a solo homer in his next at-bat to push Baker's lead out 5-1. Chris Bollefer drove in the next three runs for BU with a two-run double in the seventh and a bases-loaded walk in the eighth before Dylan Roush closed out the scoring with a sac fly.

BU 16, BC 4
The Wildcats continued their offensive onslaught, exploding for 16 runs in the first game in Lindsborg with a seven-run opening frame that gave the Wildcats a big lead right off the bat.

It was another productive outing from the BU bullpen with Tyler Vigna drawing the start and pitching the first four innings. Relievers Peyton Bowers, Jake Miller and Ty Clark all saw action in the landslide win.

Nine different Wildcats tallied an RBI with five of them driving in multiple runs and Brennan Johnson finishing as the clubhouse leader with three RBI. Jaidon Bowers knocked in a pair as part of BU's seven-run first.

Roush, Jon Jenkins, Kolden Howerton, Tyson Wallace, and Seth Brown all had an RBI hit in the game, while Johnson capped things off with an RBI double in the seventh.

BU 16, BC 9
After having its offense held in check for the first part of the series finale, Baker came through with a huge late rally, scoring 11 runs in the final two innings to complete both the comeback and the series sweep.

Howerton went 3-for-4 at the plate and finished with four RBI, while Bollefer and Camden Karlin each drove in three runs apiece. Karlin smoked a bases-clearing double in the seventh and Bollefer had a two-run single in the fourth.

The Swedes put up six runs in the first and added three more across the middle innings to take a 9-5 lead in the bottom of the fifth.

The Wildcats came back with a six-run sixth inning, sparked by three straight bases-loaded walks to leave the sixth with an 11-9 lead. BU topped off the weekend with five runs in the seventh to hang up 16 runs for the second straight game.

The non-conference sweep closed out a busy, but successful week for the Wildcats with BU going 7-1 and finishing with a six-game winning streak to move to 18-20 on the season.

Up next, Baker will play its final non-conference game of the regular season with a matchup at Kansas Christian on Wednesday, April 16, starting at 4 p.m. in Kansas City, Mo.

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