Oklahoma Wesleyan Eagles soar past five-game losing streak by sweeping foe
Whew!
It’s too soon to conclude whether the Oklahoma Wesleyan University baseball team has turned its season completely around.
But, at least the Eagles have moved past the team’s longest losing streak in 10 seasons.
OKWU (16-8) pounded Avila (Mo.), 9-4 and 11-2, on Monday after having dropped five in a row to open March play. The last time the Eagles lost five consecutive games was that start of the 2012 campaign.
“Baseball is such a unique game,” OKWU head coach Kirk Kelley said. “You’re just a timely hit or two from winning them all and you’re just a few timely hits away from losing. …
Baseball is such a fragile fragile sport. You need something to turn it back in your favor.”
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The sweep of Avila hopefully will get the Eagle season back on track on a quest to return to the College World Series for the first time in back-to-back seasons.
The run of losses did carry a tough price tag — for the first time in a while, OKWU failed to garner any votes in last week’s NAIA Baseball Coaches Top 25 Poll.
But, that’s a frown the Eagles could quickly transform into a smile as they continue to reverse the tide.
Next up, OKWU is set to play host at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Bill Doenges Memorial Stadium to Southwestern (Kan.) in a key Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference. The Eagles also will be home this weekend to host Bethany (Kan.) in a three-game set — 2 p.m. on Friday and noon and 4 p.m. on Saturday.
Following are summaries of Monday’s wins.
OKWU 9, Avila 4
OKWU let loose with its batting swipes, swatting 12 hits, including homers by Cody Muncy and Derek Sims.
Sims, Jesus Rojas and Seth Delgado each doubled.
Rojas batted 4-for-5, with two RBI’s, while the walloping wand of Muncy manufactured three hits and plated three runs.
Sims also socked three hits, while Delgado delivered two hits and two RBI’s.
Mason Brinkley tacked on a sacrifice fly.
Kellen Brothers uncorked a crafty outing on the bump, allowed five hits, three walks and four runs in 6.1 innings while striking out seven.
Austin Berglund picked up the win in relief with 2.2 innings of no-hit ball.
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OKWU 11, Avila 2
This was the Eagles’ most convincing win in three weeks. Muncy doubled and drove in three runs for the second-straight game. He plated one of them on a sacrifice fly.
But, Delgado boasted the hottest hammer — a homer, three singles and four RBI’s.
“Cody, Seth Delgado and Derek Sims all had fantastic days,” Kelley said.
Logan Ivy checked in with a double and two RBI’s.
Toward the bottom of the lineup, Marcus Randall delivered a RBI pinch-hit single and Hector Manon walked twice, scored twice and brought in one run.
Nicholas Chavez greased the offensive machine with a sacrifice bunt.
OKWU boasted another big pitching effort in relief as Braden Corley picked up the win in five innings while allowing four hits, two walks, one run and whiffing five.
“Our bullpen was fantastic,” Kelley said.
This article originally appeared on Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise: College baseball: Oklahoma Wesleyan diamond squad brooms Avila
