WICHITA, Kan. — After a few weather delays, the Bluejays were finally able to get in their first KCAC game of the season against Friends University. They were scheduled to play a doubleheader on Sunday, Feb. 18th, and finish the series on Monday, Feb. 19th. The Jays ended up splitting with the Falcons on Sunday and taking a loss on Monday.
Head Coach Mark Standiford said, "Tough series. Our defense and pitching was really good, but we have a long way to go offensively."
GAME ONE- Bluejays 3 Falcons 4
Senior Cutter Smith was on the mound for game one and took the loss. It took both teams a few innings to score. The Friends Falcons were on the board in the bottom of the fourth inning scoring two. In the seventh, the Falcons got on base and were able to score two more runs.
The Bluejays finally answered back in the eighth inning when Tyler Mata Lloyd started the rally by hitting a single up the middle. Micah Dvorak then moved Mata Lloyd with a single to center to have a runner in scoring position. Jackie Jimenez hit a single down the 3rd baseline to score Mata Lloyd making the score 1-4 Friends. With no outs, Cody Moore came up to bat and hit a single to right field moving the runners to scoring position. With bases loaded, Juan Rosa-Gonzalez hit a sac fly to score Dvorak, 2-4 Friends.
In the ninth inning, Mikey Acosta hit a solo home run to start the inning making the score 3-4 but the Bluejays couldn't capitalize, dropping game one.
GAME TWO- Bluejays 11 Falcons 3
Senior pitcher, Payton Tinkler was in control of game two. It was a quiet first inning for both teams but it didn't take the Bluejays long in the second inning to score. Marcelo Aguirre reached on a fielder's choice, Garryn Plummer got on by an error made by the shortstop, and Aguirre advanced to second. Isaiah Cohens got on with a fielder's choice and Aguirre moved to third while Plummer was out at second. Mikey Acosta hit a double off the centerfield wall causing Aguirre and Cohens to score. Tyler Mata Lloyd hit a single to left for Acosta to score. Micah Dvorak also joined in on the action, hitting a single to right for Mata Lloyd to cross the plate making the score 4-0 in the second inning.
Juan Rosa-Gonzalez got on base in the third to start the inning. Marcelo Aguirre hit a double to left field and Rosa-Gonzalez scored. Garryn Plummer then hit a ball to center in order for Aguirre to score. Isaiah Cohens was walked and Tyler Mata Lloyd hit a blooper far enough for pinch runner, Conner Flynn to score moving the score to 7-0 in the third.
Friends scored their first run of the game in the bottom of the fourth. Tabor answered back the following inning. After a pitching change for Friends, Garryn Plummer took advantage and singled to left to get the inning started. Isaiah Cohens squared around for a sac bunt but a bad throw from the pitcher added another Bluejay on base. Mickey Acosta was able to move the runners with another sac bunt. Tyler Mata Lloyd came up with runners in scoring position and produced another single to center for pinch runner, Conner Flynn to score. After Mata Lloyd hit a single, he stole second. Jackie Jimenez came up to clear the bases by hitting a double to score Cohens and Mata Lloyd, 10-1 Jays.
The Falcons scored two more runs in the bottom of the fifth and couldn't get any more across. Moving to the seventh inning, the Bluejays scored one more run to make the score 11-3. Miguel Ramos III singled to center, Jackie Jimenez came up to bat to move Ramos to second with two outs. Aidan Martinez was put in to pinch hit and successfully hit a double in order to score Mata Lloyd and move Jimenez to third.
GAME THREE- Bluejays 2 Falcons 4
Junior Max Raddatz took game three on the mound. Tyler Mata Lloyd started off the first inning with a line drive hit to right, Micah Dvorak hit the ball to left while Mata Lloyd advanced to third. Juan Rosa-Gonzalez then hit a ball to center to get the run to score. Friends answered back in the bottom of the first with a free base that got around and scored, 1-1.
In the fourth inning, Cody Moore hit a double to center and came around to score with a hit by Miguel Ramos III. In the fifth inning, the Falcons got their first lead of the game, 3-2. Bottom of the seventh, the Falcons got another run across, 4-2 and the Bluejays couldn't figure out how to get the baserunners to score ending the game with Friends who took the series.
These games leave the Bluejays overall record at 3-6 and 1-2 in the KCAC. They play at home in Hillsboro, Kansas on Saturday, Feb. 24th to take on McPherson College, first pitch will be at 12 p.m.
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Tabor College is a Christ-centered institution located in Hillsboro, Kansas. The Bluejays are members of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and compete in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC).
