Baseball Drops Series at OKWU

BARTLESVILLE, Okla. – Avila baseball (15-17, 6-9 KCAC) traveled to Bartlesville this weekend and got a firsthand look at what is likely to be the best team in the KCAC this season – Oklahoma Wesleyan (24-7, 11-4 KCAC) is ranked #13 in the NAIA and tops in the league and lived up to that billing this weekend, taking all three games from the league's other Eagle squad at home.

OKWU has been the best or at least one of the better teams in the KCAC for the last few years, but Avila has consistently played them tough in that time – including, of course, a strong showing last year, albeit in a "down" year for OKWU. This year however is certainly not a down year for OKWU, and despite some of their relative historical success this time around the Avila Eagles had no answer for Oklahoma Wesleyan – those Eagles won all three games, including a pair by run rule, to earn the weekend sweep.

It was Avila that got off to a brilliant start in Friday's series opener, setting the tone for what the visiting Eagles hoped to accomplish on the road. Landon Vahle kickstarted the series with a double and Bryce Culp followed with a single; Vahle eventually scored on a passed ball and Culp on a base hit by Kurt Trotter, and Avila quickly had a 2-0 lead against #2 OKWU starter Evan Foor.

Things quickly unraveled from there. Oklahoma Wesleyan countered with eight runs in the bottom of the first, setting the tone for what they were expecting to accomplish in this series, and the home Eagles never looked back. Jack Virden and Paxton Andrade each drove in runs with singles, but OKWU scored in each of the first five innings to win the series opener 19-4 in seven innings. Chance Moore threw a scoreless sixth for Avila.

There weren't any huge innings in game two like there was in game one, but Oklahoma Wesleyan systematically built up a large lead that Avila could not overcome in game two. OKWU plated four in both the third and sixth innings to provide the difference. Travis Curry drove in a run in the fourth and Vahle walked and scored a clutch run in the seventh to extend the game, but Jordyn Smith hit an RBI single in the bottom of the seventh to provide the 10-run margin and give OKWU a 12-2 win in seven innings.

Saturday's second game was the scheduled 7-inning contest of the series, and once again OKWU took care of business. Keaton Ashby kept OKWU off the board in the first inning, but then the home Eagles scored at least one run in each of the next five while limiting Avila to a total of three hits and no runs in the game. Two of those hits came courtesy of Curry and Austin Reams in the seventh, but Avila could not capitalize and Oklahoma Wesleyan wrapped up the weekend with an 8-0 win.

Up next, Avila baseball will return home for what's becoming an important midweek matchup with Saint Mary. That's coming up this Tuesday, March 28 at 2:30 PM at The Z; as always, you can watch all the action live on the Avila Sports Network.