HESSTON, Kan. — The Hesston College baseball team fell 15–3 to Southwestern College on Thursday afternoon at home, as a big eighth inning from the visitors broke open a close game.
Southwestern struck first in the opening inning with a sacrifice fly to take a 1–0 lead. Hesston answered in the second inning when Julian Cruz singled and came around to score on an RBI single from Kreyton Johnson to tie the game at 1–1.
The Moundbuilders regained the lead in the third with another sacrifice fly before adding two runs in the fourth on back-to-back RBI hits to extend the lead to 4–1. Hesston responded in the bottom of the fourth with a key two-out rally. Corbin Broyles singled, Chris Cammllarie was hit by a pitch and Johnson drew a walk to load the bases. Cole Steinrich delivered a two-RBI single to cut the deficit to 4–3.
Southwestern added a run in the fifth on a sacrifice fly to push the lead to 5–3, but the Larks stayed within striking distance. Hesston threatened in the fifth as Samuel Vasquez doubled and Cruz followed with a single, but the rally ended with a runner thrown out at the plate.
The game remained tight until the eighth inning, when Southwestern broke through with a nine-run frame. Taking advantage of multiple Hesston errors and timely hits, the Moundbuilders strung together doubles and RBI singles to extend the lead to 15–3.
Cruz led the Larks with three hits, while Johnson added two hits and an RBI. Steinrich drove in two runs, and Hesston finished with 10 hits in the game.
The Larks will return home for a three-game series against Kansas Christian College on April 17 and 18.
