Wildcats Split Weekend Road Series at Benedictine

ATCHISON, Kan. - After taking two games against MidAmerica Nazarene last weekend, the Baker baseball team came away with its second straight series split after trading doubleheader sweeps with Benedictine this past weekend in Atchison, Kan.

With the Ravens taking both games on Friday, the Wildcats bounced back with a 4-2 victory in game one on Saturday, followed by a 7-4 win in the series finale.

Camden Karlin hit a home run in three straight games and closed out the weekend with four RBI in the final game. Pitcher Caden Pogue earned his first win of the spring after pitching all seven innings in game three, while Tyler Vigna got the win in game four after allowing just one earned run in his four innings.

Game 1 - BC 9, BU 6
The Wildcats nearly pulled off an incredible comeback in the first game of the series, scoring five runs in the seventh before falling to the Ravens, 9-6.

After a home run from Cade Adams made it 3-1 in favor of Benedictine, the Ravens poured on five runs in the fourth and a run in the fifth to push their lead out to 9-1.

Chris Bollefer opened up the big seventh inning for BU with a walk and pinch-runner Dylan Roush came around to score on an RBI double from Jaidon Bowers. Jackson Truman drove in a couple of runs on a one-out single, followed by a bases-loaded walk from Alejandro Reinaldo and then another two-run single, this time from Tyson Wallace, made things interesting.

The Ravens were able to squash the seventh-inning rally with a strikeout to take game one, 9-6.

Game 2 - BC 5, BU 2
A four-run fourth inning from the Ravens spoiled things for BU in game two on Friday with the hosts finishing off the day one sweep with a 5-2 victory.

Karlin led off the game with a solo home run in the top of the first to spot BU and starter Brady Friend a quick 1-0 lead. The Ravens tied the game in their first time at the plate with an RBI triple.

A three-run home run, followed by an RBI single gave the Ravens a four-run lead in the fourth inning. The Wildcats tried to spark another late rally, but Kolden Howerton's RBI double in the sixth was their only other run to come across.

Game 3 - BU 4, BC 2
On Saturday, the Wildcats were able to complete one of their comebacks this time, scratching across three unanswered runs to take their first game of the series at 4-2 in game three.

A Ravens error led to BU's first run in the top of the second with Eli Young scoring to give the Wildcats another 1-0 lead. BC took the lead in the bottom half on a two-run homer.

The Wildcats capitalized on a couple of timely extra-base hits, starting in the fourth inning with Brennan Johnson tying the game on an RBI double down the right field line. Young smacked a go-ahead double in the fifth to make it a 3-2 lead for BU.

Karlin capped the victory with his second straight solo home run in the top of the sixth and Pogue finished off his first complete game of the season to seal a 4-2 win for the 'Cats.

Game 4 - BU 7, BC 4
Baker tagged the Ravens with seven runs to claim the series finale by a score of 7-4 and salvage a weekend split.

Wallace jumpstarted a four-run second inning for BU with his second home run of the spring and, after an RBI single from Javier Aguirre, Karlin added a two-run blast for his third dinger of the series to make it a 4-0 lead.

Karlin drove in two more runs in his final two at-bats of the series with a sac fly in the fourth, followed by another one in the sixth. Truman tallied an RBI single in the fourth inning as well.

Vigna (4 IP), Trent Davidson (1.2 IP) and Gage Callaghan ( 1.1 IP) combined to hold BC to just four total hits in the game with two of their runs being unearned. Callaghan struck out a pair in a quick 1-2-3 inning in the seventh as the Wildcats took the final game in Atchison, 7-4.

Hopping out of conference play, Baker will host a midweek matchup against non-conference opponent Saint Mary on Wednesday, April 2 with first pitch from Sauder Field set for 4:00 p.m. in Baldwin City.

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