The William Jewell College baseball team opened the 2016 home season with two wins on Saturday as they topped Bemidji State 5-1 and 3-2 to move to 6-4 on the season. The Beavers fall to 1-7 on the year.

In the opener Bemidji State leadoff man Tyler Nelson took the first pitch he saw to left center for a game-opening double. Jewell starter Austin Kretchmar worked out of the early trouble to retire the next three hitters and leave Nelson stranded at third base. The Beavers put runners on base during the second and third innings but were all left stranded as well.

Meanwhile BSU starter Mark Lesinski held Jewell hitless through the first three innings before the Cardinals took advantage of miscues by the Beavers in the bottom of the fourth. Jesse Gray reached on an error and came around to score on a single to centerfield by Garrett McKinzie to put Jewell up 1-0.

The Cardinals broke the game open after Dylan Christie sent a home run off the scoreboard in right field that scored himself and Coleman Waheed who had doubled to lead off the inning. Tanner Foerscher then walked and scored on a single by Andrew Miller to put Jewell up 4-0 after five innings. Matej Sucha led off the sixth for Jewell with a single to centerfield and scored on a sacrifice fly by Christie to push the lead to 5-0.
 
The Beavers did score an unearned run in the top of the seventh before Kretchmar shut the door. Kretchmar earned the complete game victory, allowing just five hits while striking out seven. In the opening game, seven different Cardinal players posted one hit a piece, while Christie led Jewell with three RBI.

In the night cap the two teams traded zeros for the first four innings before the Cardinals grabbed a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the fifth on RBI from McKinzie and Sucha. An inning later, Waheed was hit by a pitch, followed by a walk to Christie. Both runners stole the next base to put two in scoring position for Foerscher who delivered a sacrifice fly to centerfield, scoring Waheed.

The Beavers got on the board with a two-run home run from Scott Lichey in the top of the eighth inning and managed to put the tying run on base in the ninth before a double play ended the game.

Billy Kirkpatrick earned the win in game two going five and two-thirds innings, allowing four hits, four walks, and striking out three. Chris Mancha earned his first save of the season while Vijay Patel and Zach Hutcherson also appeared on the hill for Jewell.

The Cardinals and Beavers will close out the three-game series Sunday beginning at noon at Talley Stadium.