Statesmen Split Doubleheader Versus Dakota Wesleyan
Crete, Neb.– Fresh off their weekend series, the William Penn baseball team was back in action, this time for a doubleheader against the Dakota Wesleyan Tigers.
The Statesmen dropped the opening contest by a score of 2-0, but rebounded nicely for a 4-3 win in the afternoon.
WPU 0 DWU 2
The first contest was quiet on both fronts, as both starters did a phenomenal job of limiting their respective opposition. Jacob Wiechmann got the nod to open Monday’s action, limiting the Tigers to only four base runners in the game. Unfortunately, three of those hits came in the third inning as Dakota Wesleyan was able to push across two runs, and that was the end of the game’s scoring as the contest ended in a 2-0 loss for the Statesmen.
Wiechmann was masterful in the contest, allowing only four hits in seven innings while striking out seven. However, the Tigers starter was able to scatter six hits throughout the game, not walking any en route to the shutout. Jarrett Hunt accounted for three of those hits, the only member of the lineup to tally a multi-hit game.
WPU 4 DWU 3
After a scoreless first frame, the Statesmen bats were looking to come alive after being shut out for the first time this season. Up stepped Dominic Bravo (Sr., Downey, Calif., Digital Communications). He unloaded on one and sent his fourth home run of the year soaring to put the Statesmen on the board. Rhett Zelinsky drove home Tanner Bedier to extend the Statesmen lead, and Adrian Garcia made it a 3-0 lead with an RBI single of his own.
Stetson Denning was in cruise control for the entire game. He shut down the Tigers through five scoreless innings, and Bravo added an extra insurance run in the top of the fifth to make it a four run lead. Denning would finally allow a run in the bottom of the sixth, but entered the seventh inning still going strong. Looking to finish off the complete game, a two-run home run brought some life back to the Tigers, but Denning snuffed out the rally for good and ended the day with a 4-3 Statesmen victory.
Bravo continued to swing a hot bat in the early goings of the season, going 2-4 with the home run and two RBI. Franklin Aparicio led the team in hits with a 3-4 effort, while Bedier and Hunt both went 2-3.
Denning allowed three earned runs on six hits and two walks for the afternoon, pitching a season-high seven innings and striking out a season-high eight batters.
What’s Next: The Statesmen will conclude their spring break slate on Tuesday with a doubleheader in Lincoln, Ill. against the Lincoln Lynx.
