KCAC

[Baseball] Baseball Falcons cruise past Swedes for series sweep

WICHITA, Kan. – The Friends University Falcons finished off a convincing conference series sweep of the Bethany College Swedes today (Apr. 8) by scores of 13-2 and 7-0 at West Side Athletic Field."A solid weekend for us," said Friends baseball head coach Adam Neisius. "Our starting pitching was very good all three games and we played well defensively."Fresh off of yesterday's 10-run eighth inning that turned a 3-3 gridlock into a run-rule victory, the opening tilt saw the Falcons also finish things early.A two-run single by Niquan Benjamin (SO/US Virgin Islands) got the Falcons going in the first inning before a six-run second opened the flood gates.A big two-run double by Devon Lujan (SO/Olathe, Kan.) capped the big inning that also featured RBI singles from Zeke Henson (SO/Raymore, Mo. ) and Pablo Oden (SR/Hollywood, Fla.) along with a sacrifice fly by Buster Hardman (JR/American Fork, Utah).The Falcons then put the game in run-rule territory as RBI singles from Lujan and Dakota Harding (JR/Wichita, Kan.) keyed a four-run fifth inning.Two hits each from Lujan, Harding, Henson and Sam Engberg (JR/Kearney, Neb. ) powered a 12-hit attack overall for the Falcons.Caleb Coats (SO/Katy, Texas) also scored three times from the top of the lineup and Oliver Dunn (SO/Endeavour Hills, Australia) crossed the plate twice.The Falcons created multiple opportunities on the base paths, with Coats and Engberg each stealing two bases to lead the way as the team swiped seven bases overall.Keagan Alejo (SO/Waco, Texas) turned in another solid outing on the mound for the Falcons, giving up just one run and striking out two with no walks through five innings to earn the victory. Jackson Powell (FR/Lufkin, Texas) then finished the game with two innings and one run allowed.The nightcap was a pitcher's duel until the Falcons got on the board when Benjamin scored on a wild pitch in the fourth.That got the Falcon offense going, as Hardman singled home Henson and courtesy runner Ryan Sylvester (SO/Tallahassee, Fla) in the fifth that set the stage for a decisive sixth frame.The Falcons scored four runs in the sixth to break the game open behind an RBI single by Harding and a two-run double by Coats."We're getting better offensively 1-9 in the order," said Neisius. "We will need to continue to step up through the next three weekends."Matthew Benton (SO/Hobart, Ind.) provided the Falcons with his best career outing in the second game win, shutting out the Swedes over 5.2 innings on just three hits while striking out three batters and walking four.Matt Postier (SO/Wichita, Kan.) then came on in the sixth and pitched the final 1.1 innings to earn his first save.Harding had two more hits for the Falcons, while Henson and Sylvester each scored twice and Coats drove in a pair of runs.Payton Walk went 2-of-3 in the second game for Bethany and Willard Frizzell went 5.2 innings on the mound and struck out nine with four walks and six earned runs allowed.The Falcons will next entertain No. 23-ranked Oklahoma Wesleyan University Tuesday afternoon (Apr. 11) at 3 pm.  It'll be the rubber game of the season series, as the Falcons bested the Eagles 3-1 in the last meeting and OKWU won the first game 17-0 in Bartlesville, Okla.