[Baseball] Bluejays pull out extra innings win over Baseball Falcons in series opener
WICHITA, Kan. – The Tabor College Bluejays dented the scoreboard in each of the final five innings to escape with a 9-8 win in 10 innings over the Friends University Falcons in the opening tilt of the final regular season series today (Apr. 28) at West Side Athletic Field.
Trailing 7-5 heading to the bottom of the eighth, the Falcons clawed back with a leadoff double by Oliver Dunn (SO/Endeavour Hills, Australia) and capitalized on a pair of Bluejay miscues before taking the lead on an RBI single by Buster Hardman (JR/American Fork, Utah).
The Bluejays proceeded to load the bases with no outs in the ninth, but reliever Vincent Vigil (FR/Tampa, Fla. ) buckled down and got a double play to get out of the inning with just the tying run allowed.
But Trotter Boston's third hit of the game proved to be his biggest, a go-ahead solo homer in the 10th that proved to be the game-winning run.
The Falcons broke on top in the first when Niquan Benjamin (SO/US Virgin Islands) singled home Caleb Coats (SO/Katy, Texas) and Pablo Oden (SR/Hollywood, Fla.) crossed the plate on a wild pitch.
Jackie Jimenez then put the Bluejays on the board with a homer in the second before a two-run double by Boston finished a four-run sixth inning to put Tabor on top.
The Falcons fought back behind Devon Lujan (SO/Olathe, Kan.)'s team-leading fifth homer of the season and then an RBI double by Zeke Henson (SO/Raymore, Mo. ) keyed a two-run seventh frame to trim the deficit to just a run.
Dakota Harding (JR/Wichita, Kan.) had two hits for the Falcons and Hardman drove home a pair of runs.
Nolan Crumrine (SO/Sedgwick, Kan.) started for the Falcons (22-23, 16-15 KCAC) and gave up five runs with two strikeouts over 5.2 innings.
Sergio Gutierrez came in the seventh for Tabor and pitched the final 3.2 innings, giving up three runs (none earned) along with three strikeouts to be credited with the win. Jimenez also had three hits for the Bluejays (33-15, 22-9 KCAC).
The Falcons and Bluejays will wrap up the regular season tomorrow (Apr. 29) with a doubleheader starting at noon.
Friends needs at least one win to remain in contention for a KCAC postseason tournament berth next week (May 3-6) in Great Bend, Kan. The Falcons entered the day tied with the York University Panthers for the sixth and final spot in the postseason tourney, with York holding the tiebreaker. The Panthers will open a three-game series at second-place McPherson College tomorrow.