Wildcats Pull Away Late in Home Non-Conference Win over Avila, 8-3

BALDWIN CITY - Playing its final non-conference matchup of the regular season, Baker baseball took care of Avila 8-3 in a single, nine-inning contest on Tuesday night at Sauder Field.

The Wildcats took the lead right out of the gate and held the Eagles scoreless through the first six frames before the visitors cut it to a one-run ballgame in the seventh. BU quickly answered with a four-run home half of the seventh to distance itself and secure the team's fourth win in the last five games.

Led by a four-hit day from Camden Karlin, Baker outhit Avila, 10-4, with Karlin tallying two doubles and two RBI, while Tyson Grammer also drove in a pair after entering as a substitute.

BU used a steady combination of arms to complete its first scheduled nine-inning game as starter Mason Chance laid the groundwork with four scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and striking out four.

Karlin led off the bottom of the first by tagging his first double and Tyson Kiser followed right behind with a single to give the Wildcats runners at the corners just two batters in. Karlin and Kiser pulled off a double steal with Karlin coming home for BU's first run of the game.

Chance tossed back-to-back clean innings to start before experiencing his only hiccups in the third and fourth innings. He was able to get out of the jam in the top of the fourth after getting a double play to end the inning with the second out coming on a baserunning mistake by the Eagles.

A leadoff walk from TJ Armstrong sparked the two-run bottom of the fourth for the Wildcats as Armstrong eventually scored on a wild pitch before Tyson Wallace laced an RBI double down the left field line to make it a 3-0 lead.

Taking over for Chance in the fifth, Spencer McGuire came in and continued to keep the Eagles off the scoreboard through his first two innings of work. Avila finally cracked through in the seventh with a pair of runs.

In the bottom of the seventh, Baker benefited from three walks, two hits, two wild pitches and a hit by pitch to bring four runs across. Karlin drove in a run with a single up the middle and came around to score later on Grammer's RBI knock that gave the Wildcats a 7-2 lead.

Both teams traded a run in the eighth with Karlin tagging his second double and RBI of the night to cap the scoring.

After things got a little wobbly, Gage Callaghan eventually came on in the top of the ninth and finished off the 8-3 victory for BU.

Down to the last four-game series of the season, the Wildcats (12-12) are currently a game back from MidAmerica Nazarene (13-11) for one of the last spots of the Heart Conference Tournament.

Baker will close out the regular season at home with a matchup against Missouri Valley on Thursday, April 23, and Friday, April 24, in Baldwin City. Thursday's doubleheader will start at 1:30 p.m., while Friday's Senior Day matchup will begin at 4 p.m.

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