Image courtesy of Kansas Wesleyan Athletics

Kansas Wesleyan Baseball dropped a 10-3 decision to the Johnson University Royals on Tuesday in the Salina Bracket of the NAIA Baseball National Championship Opening Round at Dean Evans Stadium.

The loss drops the Coyotes (49-8) into the losers bracket where they will face Concordia (Neb.) on Wednesday at 11 a.m. at Dean Evans Stadium. The win for Johnson (39-12) pushes the Royals into the championship game, where they will face the KWU vs Concordia winner at 2:30 on Wednesday.

Johnson took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning as walks to Luke Wilson and JJ Menesini set up Izaak Fernandez’s RBI single.

The Royals added five runs in the top of the third inning. Edwin Olmeda Jr. led off the inning with a double and after the Royals loaded the bases Travis Hobbensiefken hit a ball to third, but the throw home was high and the ball got away allowing two runs to score.

Fernandez followed with a 2-run single and later in the inning Christian Altamirano drove in a run on a ground out to make it 6-0.

Joe Finder led off the bottom of the third with a double but was stranded at third in the inning.

The Coyotes got on the board in the bottom of the fourth. Carter Allen led off the inning with a single through the right side and then Garrett Garfield followed with a 2-run homer to right to make it 6-2.

Johnson added a run in the sixth as Olmeda Jr. led off the inning with a double and then scored on Menesini’s fielder’s choice on another throwing error.

Fernando Ruvalcaba homered in the bottom of the inning to make it 7-3.

Johnson would add single tallies in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings.

In the seventh, Olmeda Jr. brought home Braden Frank who had singled earlier in the inning. In the eighth, Fernandez singled to score Menesini who was hit by a pitch to start the inning, and in the ninth Joseph Brown walked and pinch runner Logan Fiene scored on a wild pitch.

The Coyotes tried to rally in the bottom of the ninth as Chris Finocchario led off the inning with a single and Blake Dale followed suit. After an infield fly recorded the first out, Logan Arndt singled to load the bases, but the Coyotes could not push a run across.

Allen, Garfield and Finocchario had two hits each for the Coyotes. Shaw Lee suffered the loss, allowing six runs, five earned on three hits with two walks in two-plus innings.

Fernandez and Olmeda Jr. had three hits each for Johnson while Fernandez drove in four runs.