The Baker University baseball team bring home two wins against Heart of America Athletic Conference rival MidAmerica Nazarene University April 12-13 before dropping two games to Evangel University April 15.
On April 12, the Wildcats split their first doubleheader with the Pioneers. Baker came out on top in game one, 5-4, in an 11-inning contest, but fell short, 4-3, in game two.
In game one, Baker started with a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, but the Pioneers soon tied the ball game with two runs of their own in the bottom of the first and third innings.
The game remained deadlocked at 2-2 until the 10th inning, when both teams scored two more runs to keep the game tied at 4-4.
Junior Josh Zach led off for the Wildcats in the top of the 11th inning when he singled to center field on a full count. Zach then advanced to third as senior Bryan Kindle and sophomore Josh Ackerman stepped up to the plate, respectively, each hitting sacrifice bunts and reaching base on fielder’s choice.
Senior Miles Sanderson next hit a sacrifice fly, which scored Zach to give Baker the 5-4 lead. Sophomore pitcher Kyle Pattrick finished off the game to earn his second win of the season.
In game two, the ‘Cats led 3-2 until the sixth inning when MidAmerica Nazarene scored two runs to take the lead. Without a response in the final inning, Baker fell 4-3. Sophomore Caleb Lee threw all six innings, striking out six Pioneers and gave up two earned runs.
The two teams split again on Saturday as the Wildcats fell 12-2 in game one and defeated the Pioneers 7-2 in game two.
Baker started out the next day with an early 2-0 lead in game one but let it slip away as the Pioneers scored four runs in the fourth, two in the fifth, four more in the sixth and two in the seventh.
Baker was able to bounce back, though, and never let the Pioneers take the lead in game two. Eight Wildcats connected for hits during the game including Kindle, juniors Brett Lechien, Matt Fry, Ryan Terstriep, sophomores Tevin Thompson, Ackerman and freshmen Ethan Jacks and Neal Boyce.
In its next HAAC matchup, the Wildcats were swept by Evangel University in a doubleheader played at Kansas City Kansas Community College.
After losing 2-1 in game one and 6-3 in game two, the ‘Cats fell to a record of 6-29 on the season and 3-15 in conference play.
Junior Brett Lechien started out on the mound for Baker, pitching all seven innings of game one and giving up only two earned runs and six hits.
Baker came up short with just four hits during the first game, but was able to improve its offense as seven Wildcats connected for a total of nine hits in game two.
Senior Ryan Hahn began pitching in the second game, giving up four earned runs and one hit in the four innings he spent on the mound. Freshman Derek Schupp came in as the relief pitcher for the next three innings and sophomore Tevin Thompson threw two innings to finish off the game.
