CONWAY, Ark. - Hendrix broke school records for runs, runs in an inning and hits, completing a three-game sweep of Nebraska Wesleyan with a 20-4 win Sunday at Warrior Baseball Field. The Warriors have scored at least 10 runs in six of their first seven contests.
Hendrix (7-0) is off to its best start in program history, eclipsing the previous mark of six wins in a row to begin the 1919 campaign.
The Warriors jumped out to an 8-3 lead after three innings, scoring four runs in each of the bottom of the first and third innings. An
Ian Guthrie RBI single tied the game at one, part of a sequence where four-straight Hendrix reached base. In the next at-bat,
Owen Shaw walked with the bases loaded. A
Kyle Kirk two-run single with two outs gave his team a three-run edge.
The Warriors totaled four runs on five hits, including two doubles, two innings later. Kirk, Miller and Bland posted three-consecutive RBI hits. A
Juan Pablo Leon RBI single turned into a five-run advantage for
R.J. Thomas' team.
A Bland sacrifice fly and Leon RBI single in the sixth made the score 10-4.
Hendrix blew the game open with a school-record 10 runs in the seventh frame, all with two outs. Nebraska Wesleyan (0-3) committed a pair of errors in the frame, as nine of the runs were unearned. Miller and Leon each had a RBI walk, followed by consecutive two-run hits from
Jacob Carpentier and
Tyler Webb. Webb touched home on a Logan Sacco balk, making the score 18-4. Sacco then gave up a solo shot to left center to Guthrie (1). A Kirk RBI single ended the offensive onslaught.
Kirk and Leon each had three of the team's record 18 hits, with five being doubles, including two by Bland.
Kirk drove in four runs, while Leon had three. Bland, Carpentier, Webb, Guthrie and Miller each plated two.
Bland, Guthrie, Shaw and
Drake Job each scored three times.
The Warriors'
David Blackburn made his second start of the season on the mound but took a no decision, pitching four innings, giving up four runs, one earned, on five hits with five strikeouts and two walks.
John Henry Fowler (1-0) got the win with three innings of one-hit relief while fanning three.
Jackson Corrigan and
Zach Orlando also threw one inning out of the bullpen apiece. Corrigan gave up just one hit and struck out two. Orlando did not allow a hit and fanned a batter.
Riley Ward had two hits and a RBI in the loss.
Christian Carnes (0-1) was chased from the game after just 2.1 innings pitched after surrendering eight earned runs on 10 hits with a pair of strikeouts and walks. Prairie Wolves' relievers combined to allow 12 runs, only four earned, eight hits and 11 walks in 7.1 innings.
Nebraska Wesleyan pitchers totaled 13 walks and three hit batters.
Hendrix travels to Ozarks (Mo.) on Tuesday. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. CT.