Wildcats Fall in KCAC Showdown to Kansas Wesleyan, 14-13

BALDWIN CITY, Kan. - With both teams tied for second in conference coming into today, Baker women's flag football fell in heartbreaking fashion to Kansas Wesleyan with a 14-13 setback here Saturday afternoon at Liston Stadium.

After their matchup in Salina, Kan. ended on a game-sealing interception from Kaley Phillips, today's game came down to the final possession with the Wildcats coming up short near the goal line as KWU was the one to come through with the defensive stop this time.

BU controlled most of the first half, taking an initial 13-0 lead before the Coyotes spoiled the solid start by scoring on the final play of the first half to make it a one-score game going into halftime.

Forcing the first of four straight punts on defense to start the game, the Wildcats had their first offensive possession come deep in KWU territory, but Tara Llorente and the BU offense marched right down to score on their opening drive of the day.

Llorente reeled off a couple of nice scrambles to move the offense down the field and used her legs to produce the game's first touchdown. With the ball at the KWU 11-yard line, Llorente bluffed a reverse in the backfield and got halfway to pay dirt before lateraling to teammate Gabriella Zabaletta, who took it in the rest of the way to give BU a 6-0 lead in the first quarter.

The Coyotes went three-and-out in their next offensive series, giving the ball back to a Baker side that took just four plays to score for the second straight time.

Masielle Peralta was able to slip behind the KWU secondary on the first play of the drive, hauling in a 37-yard catch to set the Wildcats up at the four-yard line. Llorente punched it in herself this time and Phillips tacked on the extra-point to put BU in the driver's seat with a 13-0 advantage.

With time winding down in the first half, the Coyotes completed three big pass plays and scored from 12-yards out with no time left on the clock to trim Baker's lead to a 13-6 margin at the halfway point.

After scoring on their first two offensive possessions, the Wildcats were shut out the rest of the way with KWU taking the momentum from its last-second touchdown and scoring on their first time with the ball in the second half to go up, 14-13, midway through the third quarter.

The Wildcats offense sputtered in the second half with an interception, a turnover on downs and a punt before putting things together on the game-deciding drive in the fourth quarter.

Getting the ball back deep in its own territory with less than two minutes left, Baker worked its way down the field to get all the way to the KWU two-yard line only to have Llorente's last two pass attempts get knocked down by a Coyotes defender.

The outcome broke up a tie atop the KCAC standings with Kansas Wesleyan (8-2) moving into sole possession of second place behind league frontrunner Ottawa (9-0) and the Wildcats (7-3) sliding down to third. KWU faces the Braves on Tuesday, while BU closes out the season with road games at Saint Mary and William Woods.

Baker will travel to Leavenworth, Kan. on Wednesday, April 16 to take on the Spires with kickoff scheduled for 6 p.m.

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