WPU Experiences Uneven Home-Opening Weekend Against Siena Heights
Oskaloosa–The Statesmen baseball team could do little wrong Friday, but unfortunately it witnessed the other side of the coin Saturday as it split a four-game non-conference series with Siena Heights.
In its 2026 home openers, William Penn (9-4) swept Friday’s doubleheader by scores of 20-2 and 13-3. The navy and gold were on the losing end, however, of Saturday’s twinbill, falling 7-3 and 6-5.
WPU 20, Siena Heights 2
The hosts surprisingly did all of their damage in just two gargantuan innings, starting with a 12-run effort in the third frame.
Down 2-0, the offense tallied eight hits in the third, coupled with two hit-by-pitches, a walk, and a Saint error to account for the dozen runs.
Shane Mailloux (So., Santee, Calif., Business Management), Sawyer Hardman (Jr., American Fork, Utah, Kinesiology), and Keoni Young (Sr., Las Vegas, Nev., Exercise Science) sparked the flame with RBI hits, before Aiden North (Jr., Oskaloosa, Iowa, Industrial Technology) cleared the right-center fence with a three-run home run.
Abraham Arroyo (Grad., Camuy, P.R., Master’s of Sports Management) followed with a solo shot, and then the Statesmen loaded the bases for Mailloux. In his second at-bat of the inning, the sophomore left the yard over the right fielder’s head for a grand slam.
Both sides then went cold over the next two-plus frames before WPU once again erupted in the sixth, this time for eight runs.
Mailloux finished off a seven-RBI game with a two-run double, while Hardman also drove in a pair. Jackson Conjardi (Sr., Schaumburg, Ill., Education) and Corbin Krueger (So., Hayfield, Minn., Business Management) added run-scoring singles as well.
When the smoke cleared, the Statesmen had outhit SHU 17-7. Along with his RBI production, Mailloux was 4-for-5 with three runs, while Hardman was 3-for-5 with three RBIs and a pair of runs.
Andres Pineda (Sr., Cartagena, Colombia, Business Management) was actually the lone perfect WPU batter, going 3-for-3 with three runs, while Albert Jaquez (Jr., Gurnee, Ill., Kinesiology) used three walks to score twice. North and McGwire Jephson (Jr., Rigby, Idaho, Business Management) both also walked twice as the home squad drew eight base-on-balls and earned six free passes via hit-by-pitch.
Jephson managed two RBIs and three runs as well, and Keoni Young (Sr., Las Vegas, Nev., Exercise Science) contributed a 2-for-4 showing.
Erik Mejia Jr. (So., Las Vegas, Nev., Exercise Science) was the recipient of all that run support. He took the win on the mound, permitting just two runs (one earned) on seven scattered hits over five innings. The sophomore struck out two, as did Jack Nesje (Jr., Sioux Falls, S.D., Biology) in two scoreless relief frames.
WPU 13, Siena Heights 3
Scoring in five of their six frames, the Statesmen carried the opening-game momentum into the nightcap.
SHU scored twice in the top of the first, but WPU managed nine unanswered runs, beginning with its own two-spot in the bottom of the first.
Mailloux powered a two-run shot in the initial frame, while Jaquez, in the second, and Hardman, in the third, both hit solo homers.
Young’s two-RBI single highlighted a five-run fourth inning, while the Saints assisted in nearly all of William Penn’s offense in a four-run sixth frame. The Statesmen had just one base knock in the inning, but drew four walks and were hit by two pitches.
The victors, who outhit Siena Heights 11-7, were paced by two hits from Young, North, and Jaquez. The trio of Mailloux, Young, and Jaquez all managed two RBIs, while Mailloux, Hardman, and Jaquez each touched home plate twice in the 10-run triumph.
Garrett Neiman (Jr., Arvada, Colo., Sports Management) gave up only one earned run (on five hits) in 5 1/3 innings as the starting pitcher. He collected the win, while Ethan Soldner (So., Columbus, Wis., Sports Management) was effective out of the bullpen as well. The sophomore did not permit SHU to score (two hits) in 1 2/3 frames; he also struck out two batters.
Siena Heights 7, WPU 3
Sleep unfortunately did not benefit the Statesmen as their struggles were widespread Saturday.
The opener witnessed both teams tallying five hits, but William Penn had a tough day defensively with six errors.
Down 2-0 early, the hosts finally responded in the third inning as North’s double scored Jephson and Pineda.
The visitors went back on top for good with five runs in the fifth, while Adrian Ayala (Jr., Omaha, Neb., Exercise Science) came around the pads in the sixth for the last run of the contest.
Jephson and Arroyo each tallied two walks in the loss, and Mailloux and Ayala were both good for one hit and one walk as well.
Soldner had the best stuff from a trio of hurlers, allowing only one unearned run on two hits (two walks) in three bullpen innings.
Siena Heights 6, WPU 5
A similar script was played out in the series finale as WPU and SHU tied for hits with seven each, while the Statesmen defense suffered three fielding mistakes.
The Saints went out on top in the first inning, but five unanswered Statesmen runs had William Penn on the verge of a series victory.
Pineda and Jephson both drove in a second-inning run, while a bases-loaded third-inning double from Young cleared the pads for the 5-3 edge.
Unfortunately, Siena Heights scored once in the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings to snatch a weekend split.
Young’s hit was one of two for the senior, while Pineda was 3-for-3 at the plate.
None of the four runs starting pitcher Anthony Estrada (Jr., Santa Clarita, Calif., Political Science) gave up over 4 1/3 innings were earned.
Next Up: William Penn travels to Fayette, Mo. Saturday to face Central Methodist in a Heart of America Athletic Conference-opening doubleheader at 12 p.m.
