Phil Lee
LIBERAL, Kan. – The Seward County Community College baseball team earned a split with Redlands Community College, losing the opener, 11-4, but winning the nightcap, 7-3, in a non-conference matchup on Saturday at Brent Gould Field.
The Saints improved to 11-14 overall and wrap up the four-game set with Redlands at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Sunday at home.
GAME ONE
Defensive lapses and pitching woes late in the game led to Seward squandering a comeback in the opener.
Seward rallied from a 3-1 deficit to take 4-3 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Colton Rowan and Nate Hopkins started off the inning with singles. After a fielder’s choice which eliminated Rowan at third, Brooks Barber reached first on a failed double play and Hopkins scored from second to cut the lead to 3-2.
Grant Cox followed with a single to put runners on first and third. Kotaro Waikui laced a double to score Barber and Cox and the Saints grabbed a 4-3 advantage.
Redlands regained the lead in the following inning as Seward imploded with wild pitching and defensive errors. After a pair of walks and a hit batter, a two-base error allowed two runs to score and the floodgates opened. The Cougars ended up plating eight runs in the inning to take an 11-4 lead and the eventual final score.
Rowan went 3-for-3 with an RBI and Kaden Juarezand Cox each had a pair of hits for the Saints.
John Langehenning took the loss, allowed four runs, all unearned, walked two in hitless inning.
Brooks Kappelmann started for Seward, went four innings, gave up three runs, two earned, on four hits, struck out four and walked one.
GAME TWO
Braden Whipple and Jackson Phillips provided strong pitching and Nate Hopkins drove in three runs to power the Saints to a victory in nightcap.
Redlands struck first with two runs in the opening inning, but Seward scored seven unanswered runs, one in the second, two in the fourth and a four in the fifth to open a 7-2 advantage.
Hopkins had a two-run single in the fourth and added an RBI single in the fifth.
Seward found itself in a familiar situation with Redlands threatening in the top sixth with the bases loaded and no one out. Phillips entered the game, followed by an error allowing a run to score and Redlands cut the lead to 7-3.
That would be only damage inflicted as Phillips bore down and struck out the side to end inning.
Jackson earned the save, pitched the final four innings, allowed no runs on three hits, struck out seven and walked one.
Whipple started and allowed a two-run homer in the first inning, but blanked Redlands the rest of the way. He allowed two runs on four hits, struck out four and walked one over five innings en route to the win.
Ryan Todd added two RBI and Colton Rowan went 3-for-3 for the Saints.
