TUCSON, Neb. – The Nebraska Wesleyan baseball team ended their spring trip in Arizona with a pair of close losses in a doubleheader to Hamline on Sunday (March 17).  Hamline won game one 6-1, then saw the rally fall short in a 6-5 loss in the second game of the doubleheader.
 
NWU went 2-6 on their weeklong trip to Arizona and returns to Nebraska with a 2-8 overall record.
 
Five Prairie Wolves errors were the story of the game one as the NWU pitchers gave up only two earned runs.  NWU finished with only five hits in the game and left eight runners stranded on base.
 
Hamline scored the first run of the game in the top of the 1^st inning.  NWU was able to tie it up at 1-1 in the bottom of the 2^nd.  Jackson Cummins hit an RBI single to drive in Brook Johnson.  That would be the only run of the game for the Prairie Wolves.
 
The score remained 1-1 until Hamline took a 2-1 lead in the 4^th inning.  They were able to put the game out of reach by scoring four runs in the 6^th inning.
 
Connor Cech got the start on the mound for the Prairie Wolves throwing 5 1/3 innings allowing two earned runs on seven hits.  Cech struck out two and walked four before giving way to Hayden Parker who pitched the final 1 2/3 innings.  Parker allowed just one hit during his time on the mound.
 
Brook Johnson was the only NWU player to register an extra base hit with a double.
 
In game two, Hamline built up a 6-1 lead before the Prairie Wolves mounted a big rally.  Needing five runs to tie with only three outs remaining, NWU scored four and had the tying run on second base but couldn't get the final big hit.
 
Drew Nichols led off the inning with a single, Riley Ward walked and Derek Kolbush singled to load the bases.  Brook Johnson drove in two runs with a single to make the score 6-3.  With two outs, Evan Gellatly picked up two RBI with a single to make it a one run game.  Jack Wojtalewicz singled moving Gellatly up to second base.  Pinch hitter Bradyn Thomas came to plate and hit into a fielder's choice at second base to end the game.
 
Tucker McHugh was the starting pitcher for the Prairie Wolves going 5 1/3 innings.  McHugh allowed six runs, three earned on 10 hits.  He struck out two and walked two.
 
Gellatly and Johnson both had two hits and two RBI to lead the Prairie Wolves offense.  Kolbush had another three hit performance going 3-4, while Nichols and Wojtalewicz both had two hits.
 
NWU is now scheduled to begin American Rivers Conference play next weekend with a three game series at Loras College.