The Basics

Score: #8 Evangel 1, #1 Kansas Wesleyan 5 | Box Score

Record: Evangel (23-25), Tabor (42-8)

Location: Great Bend, Kan. (Great Bend Sports Complex)

GREAT BEND, Kan. – Valor Baseball traveled to Great Bend to take part in the KCAC Baseball Conference Tournament today, taking on the top seeded Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes in the first round.

The Valor hung tough with the nationally ranked squad and put forth a strong effort, but the late innings proved costly for Evangel as KWU pushed across four combined runs in the seventh and eighth innings, taking a 5-1 win over EU and pushing the Valor into the consolation bracket.

NOTABLE

• Both Brooks Espy and Eli Cook led the Valor from the plate, both going 2-3 on Thursday.

• Colby Vavruska pitched 6.2 innings, striking out five batters on Thursday.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Both Evangel and Kansas Wesleyan had scoreless opening frames, as neither team broke through on the scoreboard until the Coyotes scored a run in the bottom of the fourth.

• Evangel responded, plating a run of their own in the top of the sixth inning. Jeremy Vickers doubled down the left field line and scored on an Eli Cook single up the middle, making it a 1-1 ballgame with the top seeded squad.

• The Coyotes responded quickly, scoring three runs in the bottom of the seventh and a run in the bottom of the eighth to take a 5-1 lead. 

• The Valor went scoreless in the late innings and went three up, three down in the ninth to ultimately fall, 5-1, on Thursday night.

NEXT UP

Evangel Baseball will take on the #4 Ottawa Braves tomorrow (May 3rd) afternoon at 3:30 p.m. in Great Bend in a win or go home matchup.

For the latest information on Evangel Athletics, visit Facebook at Facebook.com/EvangelValor, Twitter (@EvangelValor), or EvangelAthletics.com. Fans can also receive updates on their favorite EU teams by downloading the Evangel Athletics Gameday App through the App Store or Google Play.