Saints Snag Game 1 Over Coffeyville

LIBERAL, Kan. – The Seward Saints outslugged the Coffeyville Red Ravens, winning 10-8 in game one of the best-of-three series in the opening round of the Plains District Tournament at Brent Gould Field.

Seward (24-35) built a 6-1 lead in the fourth and built it to 10-3 in the fifth. Coffeyville (26-29) plated five unanswered runs from the sixth to the eighth to pull within two at 10-8 but Brooks Kappelmann picked up his first save of the season throwing the final 1.2 scoreless with two strikeouts and no hits.

Michael Lujan (W, 5-5) got the start and picked up the win tossing 5.0 innings allowing three runs on six hits. He struck out eight and walked two.

Grant Cox staked the Saints to a 2-0 lead in the first inning with a two-run blast over the right-center field wall. Cox finished 3-5 with three runs driven in.

Isai Santaella drove in a game-high five runs for the Saints. His two run single in the fourth saw Seward pull ahead 6-1. Coffeyville used a two-run single in the fifth to pull within three but a Hayden Ramage solo home run and Santaella bases-clearing double put Seward ahead 10-3 in the bottom of the fifth.

The Red Ravens plated one in the sixth and four in the eighth to threaten.

Coffeyville starter Nicholas Westendorp (L, 4-5) suffered the loss throwing 4.0 innings allowing six runs on five hits.

Game two is scheduled for Friday afternoon at 1 p.m.