Chiefs whip Sweet Springs, 26-4

ALMA -- Sophomore Nathan Wesley hit his first career home run for the Santa Fe baseball team Wednesday.

In fact, Wesley hit his first three dingers, driving in six runs, as the host Chiefs demolished Sweet Springs in five innings, 26-4.

The Greyhounds (4-10), who are scheduled to play at Slater today, are 0-6 against I-70 Conference foes.

Santa Fe went deep five times during the game, upping its total to 22 this season, starting with junior Jake Hollingsworth's game-tying two-run shot in the bottom of the first inning.

Senior Blake Vogelsmeier had an RBI double and junior Kyle Fuehring cracked a two-run single in the top of the first, but that was all Sweet Springs would get off of junior right-hander Matt Lovercamp.

After junior Zach Thomas got through the second inning unscathed, the Chiefs roughed him up with eight runs in the third -- when Wesley hit two of his taters, a solo shot to begin the rally and a two-run belt to end it.

Santa Fe also got a two-run homer from junior Hunter Rolf, a Lovercamp RBI single and a sacrifice fly by junior Clayton Tieman.

The Chiefs polished off the victory with 11 runs in the fourth, by the end substituting liberally and reducing their aggression on the base paths -- leaving the bases loaded at the end.

Wesley followed Hollingsworth's two-run single with a three-run homer and the last four hits were RBI singles -- by sophomore Nathan Michaels and Derik Russell and freshmen Ross Tieman and Andrew Smith.

What may have been most encouraging for Santa Fe fans is that their team enjoyed a 16-hit attack without a senior in the line-up.

The Chiefs (12-1), still ranked No. 1 in the state, will begin defense of their state title next week at the Class 1, District 15 Tournament at Concordia -- where as the top seed they get a first-round bye and skip into the semifinals Tuesday against the winner of Monday's contest between the 'Hounds and Bosworth.