Liberty, Mo. - Southwest Baptist traveled to William Jewell this weekend for a four‑game series, entering Saturday at 0–2 after dropping both matchups on Friday. The Bearcats responded with a strong showing in the first game of the day to secure their first win of the weekend before falling in the series finale. SBU now moves to 18–26 on the season and 10–18 in conference play, with their next matchup scheduled for Thursday at home against Drury at 5 p.m.
Southwest Baptist opened Saturday with one of their most complete offensive performances of the season, putting up 11 hits and six RBI while applying pressure throughout the lineup.
Sam Schmidt delivered the biggest swing of the day, launching a home run and finishing 3-for-4 with three runs scored and an RBI.
Jared Pugrad added two hits and an RBI of his own, while
Collin McLemore continued his steady production with a 2-for-4 line and a run scored.
On the mound,
Roberto Garcia and Koen Van Klooster combined to hold the Cardinals to four runs on eight hits, limiting damage in key moments and stranding six Jewell runners. SBU's offense backed them with a three‑run burst in the middle innings and never surrendered the lead.
The second game of the afternoon swung early in William Jewell's favor, as the Cardinals opened with back‑to‑back home runs in the first inning and added another two‑run shot in the third to build a 5–0 lead. SBU broke through in the fourth when
Cameron Dean singled to right‑center to score
Scott Allan, who doubled earlier in the inning. Despite the early deficit, the Bearcats continued to compete at the plate. However, Jewell's offense stayed hot, adding runs in the fourth, fifth, and seventh to close out the game.
Southwest Baptist will return home this Thursday to host Drury at 5 p.m. as they look to build momentum heading into the final stretch of conference play. For more information on SBU Baseball and SBU Athletics, visit sbubearcats.com or follow the Instagram for updates and daily content.
