Two opponents took over the Wayne High baseball schedule on the road to conclude a busy, five games in eight-day stretch.
From the Malcom Ball Fields, the Blue Devils first opened against the host Malcolm followed by an outing with Fairbury.
After building an 8-4 lead early, Wayne fell behind late against Malcolm suffering a 15-12 loss which included two homeruns by each team followed by late scoring to record a 10-4 victory over the Jeffs. With the split, WHS is now 3-3.
Malcolm also won 7-2 over Fairbury to improve to 5-1 as the Jeffs went 0-2 on the day falling to 1-4.
During game one for Wayne, the Blue Devils started off strong with two runs in the top of the first. Senior Gavin Redden posted a two-run homerun scoring sophomore Jaxson Kneifl.
WHS then followed with a six-run second inning to go up 8-0. Kneifl started with a two-RBI single driving in juniors Parker Patefield and Brodey Munter, Redden added a RBI base hit scoring sophomore Adrian Contreras, senior Alex Rodriguez used a two-RBI double scoring Kneifl and Redden as Rodriguez closed by crossing the plate on an error.
Malcolm cut into the deficit with two runs the next half of an inning.
Wayne High added three runs in the top half of the third to go up at-most 11-2. Redden drove in Contreras as Rodriguez posted a second two-RBI double scoring both Kneifl and Redden again.
The host Clippers then began their comeback with three runs in both of the bottom of the third and fourth innings along with a run in the fifth to trail 11-9. Malcolm then produced six of their own runs in the home half of the sixth to take a 15-11 lead.
WHS scored once more in the top of the seventh. Senior Brayden Rajaee-Hallgren tacked on a solo homerun.
Final favored Malcolm winning 15-12 despite being outhit, 12-10. Wayne committed six errors compared to five errors by the Clippers.
Gavin Redden recorded a two-run homerun, singled twice, drove in four total runs and scored three total runs; Alex Rodriguez added two doubles, driving in four runs and scoring once; Jaxson Kneifl singled twice, drove in two runs and scored three runs; Brayden Rajaee-Hallgren posted a solo homerun as Adrian Contreras doubled and scored twice.
Parker Patefield and Brodey Munter both singled and scored as junior Drew Reinhardt singled.
Rodriguez (67 pitches) suffered the loss in an inning and a third of relief allowing six runs off two hits while striking out three batters, walking six and hitting one. Redden (92) started the opening four and two-thirds allowing nine runs (five earned) off eight hits while striking out three batters and walking two.
From the second contest, Wayne started by scoring twice in the top of the first inning. Rodriguez continued his extra base hitting by recording a two-RBI double scoring Kneifl and Redden.
Fairbury answered with three runs a half of an inning later.
Following a scoreless second, WHS tied the game up with a single run in the top of the third. Senior Calvin Ankeny doubled in Rodriguez.
The Jeffs added their final run of the game with a single run in the home half of the fourth to lead 4-3.
Neither team scored in the fifth until Wayne opened the game up with a four-run sixth inning. Kneifl first drove in Munter on a double, Redden added a RBI base hit scoring Kneifl as Ankeny closed with a two-RBI single driving in Redden and Rodriguez.
The Blue Devils tallied three more insurance runs in the top of the seventh thanks to a bases clearing triple by sophomore William Patefield scoring Munter, Redden and Rodriguez.
Final favored Wayne winning 10-4 and also outhitting Fairbury, 10-4 while committing three errors compared to zero errors by the Jeffs.
Gavin Redden singled twice, doubled, drove in a run and scored three times; Alex Rodriguez singled, doubled, drove in two runs and scored three times; Calvin Ankeny singled, doubled and drove in three runs; Jaxson Kneifl doubled, drove in a run and scored twice as William Patefield tripled and drove in three runs.
Brodey Munter singled and scored twice.
Rajaee-Hallgren (51 pitches) picked up the win in two and two-thirds of scoreless relief not allowing a hit while striking out five batters and walking four. Kneifl (90) started the opening four and a third allowing four runs off four hits while striking out and walking five batters each as well as hitting two.
