HESSTON, Kan. — The Hesston College baseball team went 1–2 in a three-game series against Kansas Christian College on April 17-18, highlighted by a strong offensive performance in the series finale.
Game 1 — Kansas Christian 15, Hesston 7
Kansas Christian struck early and often, scoring in each of the first four innings to build an 8–2 lead. Hesston responded with a big fourth inning, as Kaleb Wise launched a two-run home run and Hayden Kearney added a sacrifice fly to cut the deficit to 8–5.
The Larks continued to chip away in the fifth when Cole Steinrich delivered an RBI single to make it 8–6. However, Kansas Christian broke the game open in the sixth inning with a six-run frame, highlighted by a grand slam from Peyton Roper, extending the lead to 14–6.
Steinrich led the Larks with three hits and two RBIs, while Wise added a home run and two RBIs. Camden Stateler also recorded two hits and an RBI in the loss.
Game 2 — Kansas Christian 16, Hesston 0
Kansas Christian carried its momentum into game two, scoring three runs in the first inning and continuing to add on throughout the game. The visitors plated runs in four of the first five innings, including a five-run fourth inning to extend the lead to 15–0.
Hesston struggled to generate offense, managing just one hit in the game. Kansas Christian’s Drew Lippold led the offensive charge with multiple extra-base hits and six RBIs as the Crusaders secured the shutout victory.
Game 3 — Hesston 13, Kansas Christian 6
The Larks bounced back in a big way in the series finale, using a dominant second inning to take control of the game early.
After Kansas Christian scored two runs in the first, Hesston answered with a two-run home run from Kaleb Wise to tie the game. The Larks then exploded for six runs in the second inning, stringing together hits from Cole Steinrich, Corbin Broyles and Samuel Vasquez, along with a sacrifice fly from Julian Cruz to build an 8–2 lead.
Hesston continued to add on in the third, as Broyles doubled home a run before Wise connected on his second home run of the game, extending the lead to 11–4. Cruz added a solo home run in the fourth to push the advantage to 12–4.
Kansas Christian attempted to rally with runs in the third and fifth innings, but Hesston answered again in the fifth when Broyles drove in another run to make it 13–6.
Wise led the Larks with two home runs and five RBIs, while Steinrich added three hits and two RBIs. Broyles contributed three RBIs, and Cruz finished with a home run and two RBIs.
The Larks will return home on Wednesday, April 22 to face Tabor College.
