Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 | Box Score 3 Eagles Open Season with a Sweep Over Ecclesia!

Bartlesville, OK -

            The Oklahoma Wesleyan University Eagles baseball team opened up the 2025 season this past weekend with a three-game sweep over the Ecclesia Royals. Looking to start the year off on the right foot, the Eagles began the weekend with an offensive splurge, adding strong defense and impressive pitching. The Eagles start the year 3-0 for the second year in a row and look to have a strong year on the field in 2025.

Game 1 – W (10 – 3)

            On the bump for the Eagles, Evan Foor got the ball for the first time this year and dominated in his three innings of work. Giving up no hits, runs, or walks while striking out five in his efficient 33-pitch start, Foor earned his first win of the year and the first win for the Eagles. The remaining six innings were controlled by Ashton Luera, Angel Maldonado, and Jack Stangl, as the pitching staff held the Royal offense to three runs.
            Offensively for the Eagles, the bats came to play, and they came out quick. By the fifth inning, the Eagles were up 10-0. A walk from Ravaughn Morgan, led to a Chase Pinheiro single had the Eagles up 1-0 in the first. The duo struck again in the second, as Pinheiro's double in the bottom half of the inning had OKWU up 2-0 after two innings of play. Two, two-run homers would push the Eagle's lead to 10-0, capping off opening day with a win. Luis Antigua turned on a pitch in the third, scoring Jorge Aldrete, then Javier Marcial smashed a ball to left center, scoring Morgan.
 
Game 2 – W (8 – 5)

After being down 1-0, the Eagle offense would score eight unanswered runs to propel them to an 8-1 lead at the end of the fifth inning. After a SAC fly from Alejandro Quiles, which scored Luis Antigua, Braydon Caldwell shifted the momentum to the Eagles dugout after hitting his first home run of the year and giving OKWU the lead, making it a 2-1 game after two. Caldwell shined in game one of the doubleheader, going 2-3 with three RBIs. A double play from the Eagle's defense, in the top of the fourth got them out of the inning. The offense put up a four spot in the bottom half of the inning to make it a 6-1 game. A sacrifice flyout to center from Caldwell, in the fifth, and an Edinson Renteria RBI single in the sixth made it an 8-1 game after six innings played.

A first-pitch homer to Delgado didn't faze Michael Mendoza as he settled in for his first start of the year. His final line, three innings pitched with three strikeouts and gave up one run, the solo shot to start the game. The Eagles' bullpen again showed a strong display, limiting the Royal offense to one run until the ninth inning. Out of the pen, Matthew Weidkamp shined, going three innings, giving up one run, and punching two with no walks given. In the ninth, the Royals strung three hits and added three runs, and they fought to get back in the game late. Facing adversity and pressure, Carson Frazier maintained his composure through the ninth and fought through it to finish the game, striking out the final batter of the game giving the second win of the year for the Eagles!
 
Game 3 – W (5 – 4)

            Unlike the first two games of the series, the Eagles faced a huge deficit to start the game. A four-run first inning that was done on four hits and two errors, from Eagle's defense, had the home team facing an uphill battle for the first time in the year. Facing some pressure, it didn't take long for some of it to be relieved. After a line-drive single from Ravaughn Morgan, a deep fly ball over the right field fence from Chase Pinheiro would cut the lead in half with his first big fly of the year. Keeping the momentum on their side, a double from Javier Marcial in the bottom of the second led to Alejandro Quiles also hitting his first home run of the year, a two-run shot to left field to bring the score to 4-4 after two innings played. In the bottom of the fourth, Ravaughn Morgan reached first on a fielder's choice, an error from the Royal pitcher on a pick-off attempt put him on third base waiting to score. A balk from the pitcher brought Morgan to score, completing the first part of the journey, and taking the lead for the first time in the game, 5-4. The second part was in the hands of the Eagle bullpen.

Jacob Morgan excelled in the reliever role, coming in and shutting down the Royal offense for 2.2 innings while striking out two, earning his first win of the year. In the top of the seventh, Tyler Benefiel came in to shut the door. After two quick ground outs, a single up the middle put a runner on first. He would stay stranded on first, and Benefiel would get the next batter to fly out to left, ending the game and earning his first save of the year. Eagles SWEEP!
 
Upcoming Events

            After an exciting and successful weekend for the OKWU baseball team, they will take a week off and run things back next Friday, January 31^st, at 2:00 p.m. They will face the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis Eutectic's, with the first pitch taking place at Doenges Stadium. See you there!