HASTINGS, Neb. — The Nebraska Wesleyan University baseball team dropped an 11-1 non-conference decision to Hastings College on Wednesday evening at Duncan Field in Hastings, falling to 4-12 on the season.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Broncos wasted little time setting the tone, plating two runs in the bottom of the first inning on an RBI single and a sacrifice fly, building a 2-0 lead before the Prairie Wolves could record three outs.
Hastings added two more in the second on a sacrifice bunt RBI and a two-out triple to center field, extending the advantage to 4-0 heading into the third.
NWU provided its lone bright spot in the top of the third when freshman center fielder Sam Schaefer singled to center field to score Gavin Crogg, cutting the deficit to 4-1. Schaefer, who finished the afternoon as the offensive catalyst for Nebraska Wesleyan, went 3-for-3 with an RBI, a double and a stolen base, accounting for half of the Prairie Wolves' six hits on the day.
The Broncos continued to pull away in the fourth and fifth innings, scoring once on an RBI single in the fourth before erupting for five runs in the fifth. A two-run single and a three-run double to left field pushed the Hastings lead to 9-1 and effectively put the game out of reach.
Junior left-hander Eli Eldred started on the mound for NWU and absorbed the loss, falling to 0-2 on the year. Eldred allowed eight hits and four earned runs over three innings, facing 17 batters. Ryan Johnson, Ben Sterbens, Tyler Spreitzer and Wyatt Davidson each saw time in relief as the Prairie Wolves used five pitchers on the evening.
Freshman left fielder Gavin Crogg went 2-for-2 for NWU, and junior first baseman Owen Duckworth added the team's sixth and final hit. The Prairie Wolves were held in check by Hastings pitching, which combined to allow just one run on six hits while striking out five over seven innings.
The Prairie Wolves finished the contest with six hits and committed two errors. Hastings collected 14 hits and benefited from strong situational hitting throughout, posting RBI contributions from six different players and recording a double play as well.
Nebraska Wesleyan falls to 4-12 overall, while Hastings improved to 15-11 with the victory.
UP NEXT
The Prairie Wolves return home to open a non-conference series against Howard Payne on Friday, March 27. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. at NWU Baseball Stadium at the Sandhills Global Youth Complex.
