The William Jewell baseball team dropped a high scoring affair to Bemidji State 17-16 on Sunday afternoon at Talley Stadium. The loss drops the Cardinals to 6-5 overall, while the Beavers move to 2-7.
The teams came out hot as each posted four runs in the first inning. In the bottom of the third,
Jesse Gray sent a shot over the left field fence for a three-run home run that gave Jewell a 7-5 lead. The Beavers responded by tying the game at seven on a two RBI double from Logan Riedel.
Another long ball to left, this time from
Dane Erbst pushed the Cardinals back in front at 10-7 before Bemidji State again tied things up in the top of the fifth.
After holding the Beavers scoreless in the top of the sixth,
Tanner Foerschler executed the squeeze bunt that scored Erbst to give Jewell an 11-10 lead. However, in the top of the seventh BSU exploded for sevens runs on five hits and two Cardinal errors to take a commanding 17-11 lead.
The Cardinals chipped away over the final three frames, scoring two in the seventh on RBI from Erbst and
Dylan Christie. Jewell made things interesting in the bottom of the ninth as
Coleman Waheed reached after being hit by a pitch and scored on Christie's double to left field.
Garrett McKinzie then stepped in the box as a pinch hitter and smashed a two-run shot over the left field wall to pull the Cards within one at 17-16 with just one out. Unfortunately a pop up and ground ball squashed the rally and ended Jewell's six game winning streak.
Multiple players contributed in the offensive explosion led by Erbst's two hits, including a home run, four RBI, and two runs scored. Gray, Waheed, Christie,
Zach Tyson, and Drew Standifer all posted two hits, with Waheed collected a game-high four runs scored, after reaching base five times.
The Cardinals also saw four balls leave the yard as Erbst, Gray, McKinzie, and
Matej Sucha each had one home run.
On the hill, Christie was saddled with the loss while the Beavers' Nate Heisick earned the win.
Up next for the Cardinals is a midweek date with Washburn University on Tuesday in Topeka, Kan. for a nine inning game beginning at 3:00 p.m.
