Eagles Dominate Doubleheader, Earn First KCAC Series Win

LINDSBORG, Kan. – Avila baseball (14-14, 5-6 KCAC) won its first KCAC series of the 2023 season this weekend in Lindsborg, dominating Bethany (6-18, 2-9 KCAC) in Friday's doubleheader, setting a new season high in runs scored, before coming up short in Sunday's finale to finish the weekend with a 2-1 mark.

After the Eagles had come up short in their first two bids for a conference series win this season, they left little doubt early as to which way game one of this series was going to go on Friday afternoon. The Avila offense erupted for 12 hits and 19 runs in the series opener, by far the most the Eagles have scored in a game this season and the most they've scored since they scored 20 in March 2021 against Saint Mary.

Normally a team more than capable of playing small ball, the Eagles broke out the big bats in this one, hitting four doubles and three home runs – including two grand slams – en route to the 19-0 win. Five Eagles scored at least two runs, and four drove in at least two. Kurt Trotter kickstarted the offense with a two-run homer in the third, and the Eagles were off and running – Avila scored seven runs in the fifth and six more in the seventh to wrap this game up in just seven innings.

Landon Vahle and Paxton Andrade each hit grand slams in the contest and combined for a total of seven hits, six runs scored and 10 runs driven in. Jarret Dotson meanwhile was excellent for the Eagles, allowing just four hits with three walks against nine strikeouts over seven full innings to toss his first complete-game shutout of the season.

Bad weather affected this series as it has pretty much all season for the Eagles so far, so the two teams elected to move the scheduled 7-inning contest to Friday. Once again, the Eagles quickly stamped their authority on the game before Bethany pieced together a mini rally late to make the final score closer than it was for most of the contest.

A five-run 2^nd inning engineered by the bottom of the Eagle order was the difference in this contest. Reyes Willis hit a two-run single to get things started, Vahle followed with a two-run triple, and Bryce Culp plated Vahle with a base knock to put the visitors up big early. Culp doubled and scored in the fourth, and Austin Reams hit his first home run of the season in the fifth, staking the Eagles to a sizable 8-0 lead.

Briley Burrow was excellent over the front five innings for Avila before Bethany got to him for a couple of runs in the sixth inning to finally get on the scoreboard in the doubleheader. Reams drove in an insurance run in the seventh and even though the Swedes got two more in the bottom half courtesy of top hitter David Espinal Avila had more than enough breathing room and coasted to a 9-5 win, securing the series victory.

The inclement bad weather throughout Kansas on Saturday forced the teams to move the series finale back to Sunday afternoon to accommodate. And after the postponement the Eagles started strong once again, but this time they were unable to deliver in the clutch moments, allowing Bethany to escape with one win the series.

Once again Avila was the best team early, threatening many times over the first few innings – but ultimately a few missed opportunities would come back to haunt the visitors in the finale. Avila loaded the bases in the first inning and Paxton Andrade drove in a run with a bases-loaded walk, and then Andrade and Austin Reams drove in runs in the third to stake the Eagles to a 3-0 lead early.

This time, however, that lead was not enough. Bethany rallied for a four-spot in the bottom of the third inning to take their first lead of the series, and eventually scored two more in the seventh. Dominic Davies entered and got the final four outs to stop the bleeding but after the Eagles chased starter Bryant Baez after two innings they could not get anything going against a pair of Swede relievers, and the home team held on for a 6-3 win to salvage a game in the series.

Up next, Avila baseball will continue its "road trip" when the Eagles head back out west for the second game of their midweek series against Ottawa this Tuesday, March 21. First pitch is slated for 1 PM in Ottawa, Kansas; as always, you can watch all the action on the KCAC Network.