WINFIELD, Kan. — Sterling College fell to Southwestern College in a three-game series Friday and Saturday, March 20-21. The Warriors lost game one 12-9 followed by a 14-12 loss in game two and a 3-2 loss in game three.
Game 1
Sterling opened the game strong with a four-run first inning. Matthew Garcia singled and stole second before Joshua Garcia hit a grand slam, scoring M. Garcia, Chuck Lang, and Emmanuel Huerta Cardenas. Sterling led 4-0 at the end of the first inning.
In the second inning, Sterling added three more runs. After M. Garcia and Lang executed a double steal, Huerta Cardenas reached on an error, allowing M. Garcia to score. Jackson Harding‘s groundout brought Lang home, and Nehemiah House doubled in Huerta Cardenas. The inning ended with Sterling ahead 7-1.
Sterling’s lead was challenged in the third when the Moundbuilders scored three runs, narrowing the gap to 7-4.
The Warriors added to its lead in the sixth inning with two more runs. Joshua Garcia and Mitchel McDaniel took advantage of an error and a wild pitch to score. The score was 9-4 in favor of Sterling.
Southwestern surged in the seventh inning, scoring six runs to take a 10-9 lead.
In the eighth inning, the Moundbuilders extended their lead with a two-run homer by Preston Carrillo, making it 12-9.
Despite several opportunities in the ninth, the Warriors could not close the gap, resulting in a final score of Southwestern 12, Sterling 9.
Jace Phillips started for Sterling, pitching 3 innings while allowing four earned runs on eight hits and striking out four batters. Zachary Johnston relieved with 3 1/3 innings, yielding four runs on two hits and issuing four walks, accompanied by one strikeout. Cooper Lovelace faced five batters in 1/3 inning, allowing two earned runs on two hits and a walk. Eric Villa closed with 1 1/3 innings, conceding two earned runs on three hits, including a home run.
Matthew Garcia showcased his speed by scoring two runs and stealing two bases. Joshua Garcia made a significant impact with a home run, driving in four runs and adding two stolen bases. Emmanuel Huerta Cardenas contributed with a run scored, a hit, and one RBI. Chuck Lang added to the offense by scoring two runs and drawing a hit by pitch.
Game 2
The Warriors jumped to an early lead in the first inning, capitalizing on several errors. Lang reached first on an error and later scored on a walk to Harding. Huerta Cardenas scored on a hit by pitch to J. Garcia. House and Harding also scored on subsequent plays. Sterling led 4–1 after the first inning.
In the fourth, Mateo Castro walked and scored on an error, followed by Lang scoring on a sacrifice fly by Harding, extending Sterling’s lead to 6–2.
The fifth inning saw Sterling add two more runs. Ezavien Campos scored following an error, and Huerta Cardenas singled up the middle to bring in Castro. The score stood at 8–5 in Sterling’s favor.
Sterling added another run in the sixth when McDaniel, pinch running for Landen Volner, scored on a double by Campos. The lead was 9–6.
In the seventh, M. Garcia walked and scored on a single by House, maintaining a 10–7 advantage for Sterling.
Southwestern rallied in the eighth inning with four runs, shifting the lead to 11–10.
The Warriors responded in the ninth inning, with M. Garcia scoring on a wild pitch and Lang scoring on a single by Harding, regaining the lead momentarily. However, the Moundbuilders scored three runs in the bottom of the inning, including a two-run homer by Ayden Markovich, to secure a 14–12 victory.
Colin Clark started for Sterling and pitched 4 2/3 innings, allowing five runs on five hits, including two doubles, and recording two strikeouts. Landon Snyder relieved Clark, pitching a perfect 1/3 inning with one groundout on six pitches. Jackson Reed followed, pitching 2/3 of an inning, yielding one run on one hit while striking out one batter but also issuing two wild pitches. Cooper Lovelace entered for 1/3 of an inning, retiring one batter with a flyout. Jordan Ramsey pitched one inning, allowing one run on two hits, including a home run, with one walk and one strikeout. Jason Reed struggled in his outing, giving up four runs on two hits and three hit batters in 1/3 of an inning. Eric Villa concluded the game, pitching 1 1/3 innings, allowing one earned run on two hits, including a home run, with one strikeout.
Chuck Lang contributed significantly by scoring three runs and adding one RBI. Jackson Harding led the team with three RBIs, also scoring a run. Ezavien Campos impressed with a double and two RBIs, while also collecting four assists in the field. Mateo Castro drew two walks and scored twice, adding one RBI to his performance.
Game 3
Sterling took an early lead with two runs in the third inning, but the Moundbuilders responded with a crucial two-run sixth inning to secure the victory.
The Warriors jumped ahead in the third inning when Campos walked and Castro singled through the left side. M. Garcia followed with a single up the middle, bringing in Campos. Lang then singled to center field, allowing Castro to score. Sterling took a 2–1 lead after three innings.
In the sixth inning, Southwestern capitalized on a Sterling error. Sam Benz singled and later scored on a single by Nathan Perez, which also brought home Brice Nittler, who had reached on a hit-by-pitch. These two unearned runs put the Moundbuilders ahead 3–2.
The Warriors was unable to score in the seventh inning, and the game concluded with Southwestern winning 3–2.
Aaron Elsasser pitched 4 innings, allowing one earned run on four hits while striking out two batters and walking one. Landon Snyder followed, delivering a perfect inning with two groundouts and a strikeout, throwing six strikes out of seven pitches. Tyreek Sherman closed the game, pitching 1 inning and conceding two runs on two hits, striking out two and hitting one batter.
Joshua Garcia recorded two hits and stole a base, contributing offensively for Sterling. Chuck Lang added a hit and an RBI while reaching base twice on walks. Ezavien Campos drew a walk and scored a run, showcasing his ability to reach base and come around to score. Mateo Castro finished with two hits and scored a run, bolstering the team’s offensive efforts.
The Warriors (13-17, 7-10) will look to bounce back against Friends University (15-15, 10-7) in Sterling, Kan. on Tuesday, March 24 at 3 p.m.
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.
