Kansas Wesleyan Baseball dropped Friday's series opener with the Oklahoma Wesleyan University Eagles 8-4 at Dean Evans Stadium.
 
The Coyotes got out of danger in the top of the first inning, getting back to back strikeouts to end the inning after OKWU had loaded the bases with just one out.
 
In the second inning OKWU got on the board. Two walks and a hit batter loaded the bases for the Eagles and Wally Diaz stepped to the plate and hit a grand slam for the Eagles to make it 4-0.
 
KWU got on the board in the bottom of the third as Logan Arndt hit a solo homer to lead off the inning.
 
Again the Coyotes avoided danger in the fourth as Luis Antigua lined out to left field and KWU left fielder Coulson Riggs threw back to first base to double off courtesy runner Jaxson Burchette.
 
In the bottom of the fourth, the Coyotes tied it up. Carter Allen led off the inning with a single and Garrett Garfield was hit by a pitch. Two batters later, Chris Finocchario hit a line drive shot out to left field for a 3-run shot to tie things up at 4-4.
 
OKWU took the lead in the top of the seventh inning on a homer and added another run on a single.
 
The Eagles added two more in the eighth to extend the lead to 8-4.
 
The Coyotes tried to rally in the bottom of the ninth, getting a 2-out double by Arndt, but could not capitalize further.
 
Arndt had two hits to lead the Coyotes. Finocchario had three RBI.
 
Shaw Lee took the loss on the hill allowing six runs on five hits with four walks and five strikeouts.
 
The teams will meet again on Saturday for a doubleheader to decide the series winner starting at Noon at Dean Evans Stadium.