Warriors lose three-game series to Oklahoma Wesleyan

Sterling College baseball faced a tough Oklahoma Wesleyan University team in Bartlesville, Okla. on Friday and Saturday, March 21-22. The Warriors went 0-3 in the series but had some promising performances.

Game 1

Oklahoma got off to a hot start in the series opener on Friday and, despite Sterling's best efforts, came out with the 11-7 victory.

The Eagles started off up 5-0 by the end of the first inning, with a one-run homer from Ravaughn Morgan to start things and a three-run homer from Brenden Poindexte to finish things off. OKWU would add to their lead in the bottom of the second and third inning giving them a 9-0 advantage.

Sterling finally answered back in the top of the fourth inning with a single to right field from Jackson Parmenter to bring home Andrew Dutro. Emmanuel Huerta Cardenas added to the Warrior's score in the top of the fifth with a single to left field to bring Luis Morales in for the run in the top of the fifth inning making the score 9-2.

The Warriors continued to battle in the top of the seventh inning with a single to right field from Morales to advance Joseph Almanza home and a double from Cardenas to bring Morales and Tyler Gates in for the run.

Oklahoma Wesleyan would add two more runs to their lead in the bottom of the eighth inning to take an 11-5 advantage. Parmenter tried to breath some life back into the Warriors in the top of the ninth inning with a two-run home run but Sterling couldn't get anything else going and the game ended 11-7 in favor of the Eagles.

Aaron Alvarado started from the mound for Sterling, he pitched six innings, facing 34 batters. Alvarado surrendered 12 hits which resulted in nine runs, walked five batters and struck out four. He was relieved by Nate Heffline who pitched two innings and faced 11 batters. He surrendered four hits, which resulted in two runs, walking two batters while striking out one.

Game 2

Game two proved to be a challenge for the Warriors on Saturday, as the Eagles came out swinging and got the 15-1 win.

The Warriors were the first to strike, with a single from Tyler Gates which brought home Nehemiah House who made it to home plate on an error by the short stop, Victor Sanchez.

From there it was all Oklahoma Wesleyan with scores in the bottom of the second, third, fourth and sixth inning including home runs in the third, fourth and sixth.

Jace Phillips started on the mound Sterling, he pitched four innings, facing 22 batters, surrendered nine hits which resulted in seven runs (six earned) while walking two batters and striking out three. Pitching in relief was Cooper Lovelace, who pitched for one and two third innigs. He faced 12 batters, surrendering four hits which resulted in seven runs while walking three batters.

Game 3

Sterling bounced back in game three, narrowly loosing 9-8 in the final game of the series.

Gates drew first blood with a score off of an error from the catcher in the top of the first inning. The Eagles answered back with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first and second inning and a single run home run in the bottom of the third to make the score 6-1 in favor of Oklahoma Wesleyan.

The Warriors came back with a one-run home run from House in the top of the fourth.

The big turning point came in the top of the fifth with four runs from Sterling to tie things up at six. Phillips started things off with a run scored on fielder choice. Gates then took advantage of an error by the short stop to reach home plate. House grounded out to third base to bring home Morales and Campos took advantage of an error by the third baseman to get the tying score.

Sterling then took the lead with a two-run homer from Gates to give the Warriors an 8-6 lead in the top of the sixth.

The Eagles answered back with a three-run home run to take the 9-8 lead and eventual victory.

Aaron Elsasser started things off from the mound for the Warriors. He pitched five innings, facing 27 batters, surrendering seven hits which resulted in six runs (five earned). Elsasser walked four batters and struck out one.

In relief for Sterling was Cipriano Rivera who pitched one inning, facing seven batters, surrendering two hits which resulted in three runs, walking one batter while striking out two.

The Warriors will be back in action on Tuesday, March 25 against Southwestern College in Sterling, Kan.

Be sure to check for news and updates on Sterling Warrior Athletics on Facebook (/SCWarriors), Twitter (@SterlingCSports), and Instagram (sterlingcsports), as well as the hashtag #SwordsUp. Watch the Warriors' live home events on the Sterling College Sports Network.