Game 1 — Ecclesia 5, Hesston 1
The Hesston College baseball team dropped the opening game of the series against Ecclesia, 5–1, in a game where early runs proved to be the difference.
Ecclesia took control early, scoring three runs in the first inning on a pair of hits and a walk to jump out to a quick lead. They added another run in the second inning to extend the advantage to 4–0 while the Larks struggled to get the offense going early.
Hesston began to find opportunities in the middle innings as Federico Moran and Kaleb Wise each recorded hits and Noel Cesena reached base, but the Larks were unable to string together multiple hits to bring runs across. Ecclesia added another run later in the game to make it 5–0.
The Larks finally broke through in the seventh inning when Chris Cammllarie reached base and later came around to score on an RBI from Cole Steinrich, but the late run was not enough to spark a comeback as Hesston fell 5–1 in the opener.
Game 2 — Ecclesia 7, Hesston 4
Hesston stayed competitive in game two but fell 7–4 as Ecclesia again used early offense to build a lead.
Ecclesia scored three runs in the first inning and added another in the second to take a 4–0 lead. Hesston responded in the fourth inning when Jakson Slade drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to get the Larks on the board.
In the fifth inning, the Larks put together their best offensive stretch of the game. Camden Stateler and Samuel Vasquez both reached base and later scored as Hesston cut the deficit to 4–3. Hesston added another run in the sixth inning to stay within striking distance, but Ecclesia answered with two runs late to extend the lead and secure the 7–4 win.
Chris Cammllarie led the Larks at the plate with two hits and an RBI, while several Larks reached base via walks as Hesston continued to battle throughout the game.
Game 3 — Ecclesia 20, Hesston 6
The Larks jumped out early in the series finale but a big offensive performance from Ecclesia led to a 20–6 loss in the final game of the series.
Hesston scored first in the opening inning and added another run in the second inning to keep the game close early. However, Ecclesia responded with a big second inning and continued to score in the third and fourth innings to take control of the game.
The Larks answered in the fifth inning with their biggest offensive inning of the game. Trentis Lane hit a three-run home run to bring Hesston back within reach, and Beckett DePuy added a solo home run later in the inning as Hesston scored four runs in the frame.
Despite the offensive burst, Ecclesia continued to score throughout the middle innings and pulled away to secure the 20–6 win and the series sweep.
The Larks will return to action Tuesday, March 31, with a doubleheader at Oklahoma Panhandle State in Woodward, Oklahoma.
