Great Bend, Kan. – The Friends University Falcons carried over their hot streak into the postseason with victories over sixth-seeded Oklahoma Wesleyan University and second-seeded Ottawa University today (May 1) at the opening day of the KCAC Tournament at the Great Bend Sports Complex in Great Bend, Kan. The Falcons have now won 13 straight games and are 33-15 overall this season.
The Falcons immediately asserted themselves in the first game against OKWU when Becca Dunn doubled home two runs prior to leaving the game due to an injury.
An RBI groundout by Alana Moreno in the third made it 3-0 before Riley Wertz doubled in two more runs to push the Falcon lead to five runs.
After Raegan Rector hit an RBI single to make it 5-2 in the fifth, Wertz buckled down from there. With the tying run at the plate and two outs in the seventh, Wertz induced a fly out by Jessica Watson to close out the victory.
Wertz turned in another dominant outing with just two unearned runs allowed along with nine strikeouts and just one walk.
The Falcons got two hits from both Carolyn Dallimore and Vanessa Sigala, while Jewell Caudle and Abby Huie also had a pair of hits each for Oklahoma Wesleyan.
The victory over OKWU put the third-seeded Falcons in a winner's bracket game against second-seeded Ottawa, where they again took an early lead with an RBI double from Dallimore in the first inning.
A single by Elena Montoya led to another run and an RBI groundout by Fallyn Marshall plated Makenna Mitchell. Montoya then scored on a single by Dallimore and Wertz doubled home Sigala to give the Falcons a 5-0 lead for the second straight game.
Macy Roever hit an RBI double in the third for the first of two runs for the Braves, but Wertz got one of those runs back for the Falcons with a single that chased home pinch runner Marina Roman.
Kierstan Weitze blanked the Braves on one hit over the final 3.2 innings with two strikeouts to earn the victory.
Laila Spracklen started for the Falcons vs. Ottawa and lasted 3.1 innings with two earned runs allowed and four strikeouts.
Marshall sparked the Falcons with three hits from the top of the lineup, while Dallimore, Wertz and Montoya had two hits apiece.
Reagan Hammons went 2-of-3 with a run scored for the Braves.
The Falcons will now play top-seeded Evangel University tomorrow (May 2) at 2:30 with a spot in the championship game on Friday at stake. Evangel defeated Tabor College and the University of Saint Mary earlier today to advance to play the Falcons.
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