Kansas Wesleyan baseball coach Bill Neale had no qualms about his team playing on back-to-back days, and with good reason.
“It’s good,” he said. “We’re hitting well right now, we’re pitching well and when you’re doing that you don’t want to stop playing. These guys want to play every day.”
The Coyotes defeated Central Christian 10-3 in a non-conference game Wednesday afternoon at Dean Evans Stadium one day after rolling over Kansas Conference foe Sterling 10-1 in Sterling. Wednesday’s victory was their 15th in a row and raised their record to 26-7.
Neale said back-to-back midweek games won’t negatively impact his team ahead of a three game KCAC series against Saint Mary on Saturday and Sunday at Evans Stadium.
“You watch the major leagues and they play every day,” he said. “When you play a single nine (inning game) you’re not tiring yourself out for the next day.”
Neale used seven pitchers against Central Christian and 11 Coyotes got at-bats in the game.
“It was good that we got a bunch of guys in,” he said. “We got some guys to pitch who haven’t pitched a whole lot that we’ll need when it comes to playoff time.
“Our schedule has been where we’ve been able to use the same guys but once we get into conference tournament and (NAIA) Opening Round we’ll have to use some different guys.”
Starting pitcher Zach Westbrook (1-1) was the winner, allowing no runs and one hit through the first three innings. He struck out three and walked two. Pedro Ramirez, Danny Ramirez, Riley Gwin, Branden Voytko, Sam Cooper and Hunter Blea followed with an inning each.
Central Christian (7-28) managed just three hits in the game.
KWU had 12 hits, four of them home runs. Jarrett Gable hit a solo shot in the first inning, Kendall Foster followed with a three-run blast in the second inning, Jacob Williamson had a two-run dinger in the third and Adrian Villalobos chipped in a two-run homer in the fifth.
After Gable’s homer in the first inning the Coyotes scored five in the second on Foster’s homer, Alex Garcia’s RBI single and Eric Romero’s sacrifice fly. Williamson’s homer in the third made it 8-0 and Villalobos bumped the lead to 10-0 with his homer in the fifth.
Gable and Villalobos finished with three hits apiece and Williamson had two.
“Adrian has done a great job at third base and has swung the bat well, too,” Neale said. “Defensively he helped us out at Sterling and Bethany.”
Neale said he is pleased with the way his team has come together.
“The new guys and returners are meshing well together and they’re playing well together,” he said. “They’re trusting the guy behind them, and they don’t have to do too much out there.
“We’re doing it different ways too. We’re hitting, we’re hit-and-running, we’re stealing bases, we’re bunting, and we still have the long ball there with most of our lineup too.”
Saturday’s doubleheader and Sunday’s single game against Saint Mary will start at 1 p.m. each day. The Spires (16-18) have lost their last four games including a 12-9 setback against Tabor on Tuesday in Hillsboro.
