What a difference a week makes for the Baker University baseball team.
After losing all four games of a home and away doubleheader to Avila University April 2-3, the Wildcats bounced back Friday and Saturday against William Jewell College.
BU won three of four games in two doubleheaders against the Cardinals, including two walk-off wins Friday at Sauder Field.
“Any time you get one victory, let alone two victories, it kind of builds momentum and gives you the confidence that you kind of have to have to know that you are never out of a game,” head coach Phil Hannon said.
Game one featured a pitching duel between junior Chris Cummins and William Jewell’s Jamison Miller.
“Both of those young men in the conference are top-tier pitchers and they are leading in some statistics,” Hannon said.
Cummins threw 133 pitches in nine innings, allowing seven hits, three runs, two earned runs, two walks and striking out 12 Cardinals. Freshman Brian Replogle relieved Cummins in the top of the 10th inning and gave up a run, but earned the victory after senior Brandon Truitt hit a game-winning two-RBI single in the bottom of the inning. The hit gave Baker the win 5-4.
“It was just a big relief off my chest,” Truitt said.
Miller went step for step with Cummins by throwing 142 pitches in nine innings, allowing eight hits, four runs, one walk and striking out 12 Wildcats. William Jewell’s Ben Rister relieved Miller in the 10th, but only recorded one out before Truitt’s game-winner.
The excitement for the Wildcats continued in game two. BU trailed 3-2 entering the bottom of the seventh inning. Baker tied the game when junior Matthew Abel scored on a fielding error, and then went on to win it with sophomore Chase Dengel’s walk-off RBI single.
“It was my first walk-off hit ever,” Dengel said. “It’s what every baseball player really wants.”
The ‘Cats and Cardinals went on to split Saturday’s doubleheader in Liberty, Mo., with WJC winning game one 6-0 and BU salvaging game two 9-6.
Next up for BU was the completion of the March 27th doubleheader against Benedictine College Tuesday. The Wildcats and Ravens were tied 7-7 in the fifth to resume play in game one that was postponed due to snow.
BU capped off game one with a 9-8 victory. Dengel was the man of the hour again, with a walk-off sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eighth inning.
The Wildcats won game two of the doubleheader 6-5, yet again in walk-off fashion with junior Jose Orozco hitting a single to score the runner from third base with two outs.