LIBERTY, Mo. - The William Jewell baseball team finished off a four-game sweep of Bemidji State on Sunday afternoon to open their season 4-0. The Cardinals won game one 7-6 in walk off fashion in extra innings before coming from behind to win 8-6 in game two.
GAME ONE (Jewell 7, Bemidji State 6)
HOW IT HAPPENED
- After the Beavers took an early lead with a solo home run, Jewell plated two in the bottom half of the first on RBI singles from Alex Epp and Cole Conner.
- Epp came through again an inning late with an RBI infield single, scoring Jake Wilcox and expanding the lead to 3-1. The Cardinals added a run on a solo home run by Anthony Hansen in the fourth frame.
- Bemidji State found their offense in the sixth, scoring three runs on four hits to tie the game but the Cardinals responded immediately with two runs in the bottom of the inning.
- In the seventh, down to their final outs, the Beavers again tied things up with a two-RBI single down the left field line.
- In the bottom of the ninth Hansen singled and advanced to second on a sac bunt by Cameron Fliege. Epp recorded his third RBI of the game with a double down the right field line for the walk off win.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Jewell finished with 10 hits, led by three apiece from Conner and Epp while Hansen added two singles and scored four times.
- The Cardinals totaled four stolen bases, two from Hansen and one each by Wilcox and Quincy Aldrich.
- Drew Dant (1-0) earned the first win of this Cardinal career with four innings in relief, striking out four and allowing a single earned run.
GAME TWO (Jewell 8, Bemidji State 6)
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Hansen got things going early for the Cardinals with a solo home run in the bottom of the first, his second of the day.
- Jewell extended their lead to 4-0 in the second frame, as back-to-back doubles from Ryan Dickerson and Wilcox plated two. Hansen followed with an RBI base knock up the middle.
- Bemidji State got on the board with three runs on three hits in the third before taking their first lead with three more runs in the following inning to go in front 6-40.
- The Cardinals rallied with four runs in the bottom half of the fourth as Cole Conner triples scoring two followed by an infield single from Aldrich to put Jewell on top for good. The pitching staff stranded three runners over the final three frames for the win.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Jewell outhit the Beavers, 13-10, led by three from Fliege.
- Hansen and Conner finished with two RBI while Wilcox and Epp stole a base.
- In his first appearance, Jake Sawyer (1-0) got the win, working five scoreless innings in relief.
UP NEXT
The Cardinals hot Wayne State (Neb.) for a non-conference doubleheader on Wednesday. The games will be played at Urban Youth Academy, beginning at 12 p.m.