Westminster's Hughes Records 100th Career Coaching Win
Westminster baseball head coach Denny Hughes recorded his 100th win at Westminster after Saturday's doubleheader sweep over Eureka College. Hughes joined the Westminster baseball team in 2012, averaging 20 wins a season with 10 games still to play in the 2016 season. The Westminster Blue Jays grabbed the game one win, 5-2, and went on to win game two, 7-4. The Blue Jays currently sit in second place in the west division with a 5-3 division record and an 8-4 conference record. Overall, the Blue Jays are 17-10.
During the game one win, senior Tyler Branneky broke his seventh career record in game and now holds the Westminster career mark for doubles with 37. On the mound, senior Deion Hughes tied the wins (8) and complete game (7) season records.
Eureka sent a two-run shot over the left field fence to take a 2-0 lead in the first inning, but with two outs in the top of the second inning, sophomore Tanner Branneky knocked one out of the park to put the Blue Jays on the board.
Back-to-back doubles by Hughes and Ty. Branneky in the third inning evened the score at 2-2, and Ty. Branneky's double was his career record-breaking hit. In the fourth, Ta. Branneky was brought home by a fielding error by center field to take a 3-2 lead.
The Blue Jays tacked on two more runs in the top of the seventh with a two-out, two-run homer from junior Nick Cessna.
The Blue Jay defense left one Eureka runner stranded in the bottom of the seventh to end the game with the 5-2 win.
The Blue Jay offense posted 10 hits and four Blue Jays finished with two hits a piece.
Hughes (8-1) grabbed the complete game win on the mound with 11 strikeouts.
Game two started with two scoreless innings, but Eureka scored an unearned run off a RBI single in the bottom of the third to start the scoring.
The Blue Jays answered with a RBI double from Ta. Branneky to bring in Ty. Branneky and even the score at 1-1. In the fifth inning, the Blue Jays added three runs to grab a 4-1 lead. Back-to-back doubles from sophomore Adam Mundle and Hughes brought the score to 2-1. Eureka walked the next two batters, loading the bases for Ta. Branneky. Catcher's interference brought in Hughes, and Ty. Branneky was walked in on the next at bat.
Eureka scored a run on a RBI ground out in the fifth inning to put the game at 4-2, but the Blue Jays tacked on three more runs in the seventh inning to go up 7-2. With sophomore Blake Strebler's at-bat, two runs came in, and sophomore Nick Bohlmann scored the third run off a Eureka error.
Eureka scored one run in the bottom of the ninth in their last ditch effort to come back, but senior pitcher Collin Brinker struck out the final batter to end the game with a 7-4 victory.
The Blue Jays had just five hits in game two with two coming out of Ta. Branneky.
On the mound, Brinker (5-2) grabbed the complete game win. He pitched nine innings and struck out 10.
The Blue Jays close out the three-game series with Eureka on Sunday, April 17, at 1:00 pm.
STORY COURTESY OF WESTMINSTER COLLEGE SPORTS INFORMATION OFFICE
