Baseball Wins Nine in Sunshine State
William Penn University Athletics
College Park/Lake Myrtle, Florida–The Penn baseball team performed very well in posting a 9-3 record at the RussMatt Invitational in central Florida last week.
The Statesmen (12-4) got its worst loss out of the way on Sunday, falling 8-1 to Davenport (Mich.). The squad then rebounded for back-to-back 8-5 wins over Saint Xavier (Ill.) Sunday and Concordia (Mich.) Monday. Penn came up short against Concordia in the nightcap, however, losing 6-4.
Tuesday’s action saw Penn shut out Bethel (Ind.) in a 6-0, 9-0 sweep. The squad picked up one more win against Bethel with a 3-2 triumph Thursday. That afternoon unfortunately ended with the Statesmen’s final setback of the week, losing 4-1 to Hannibal-LaGrange (Mo.).
The Statesmen ended the week strong with a sweep over Notre Dame (Ohio), 12-7 and 10-6, prior to 13-3 (6 innings) and 14-2 (5 innings) victories against Purdue-North Central (Ind.) and Hannibal-LaGrange, respectively.
Davenport 8, Penn 1
Despite playing in considerably higher temperatures than back in Oskaloosa, the Statesmen still took a bit to get warmed up, only scoring one run on five hits in the opener.
Kyle Humphrey (Sr., Boise, Idaho, Skagit Valley CC) led the team with two hits, while Tony Mancuso (Jr., Covina, Calif., Citrus CC) was brought around for the only run by Aaron Laird (Jr., Oskaloosa, Oskaloosa HS).
David Ness (Jr., Purcellville, Va., Frederick CC) dropped the decision, giving up eight runs (all earned) on ten hits. The junior struck out five with two walks.
Penn 8, Saint Xavier 5
Penn opened up offensively in the nightcap, outhitting the Cougars 11-8, including two hits each by Humphrey, Miguel Castillon (Sr., Simi Valley, Calif., LA Mission CC), Jerry Hernandez (Sr., Moreno Valley, Calif., Chaffey CC), and A.J. Fields (Jr., Galesburg, Ill., Arkansas-Little Rock).
Fields recorded three RBIs, while Castillon tallied two and also scored a team-best three runs (only player with more than one run). The senior highlighted the four-run sixth with a two-RBI single.
Steve Enriquez (Jr., Castro Valley, Calif., Laney CC) remained perfect on the year, allowing five runs (all earned) on eight hits, while striking out four.
Penn 8, Concordia 5
Another 11-hit performance yielded big innings again (four in the first and two in the second and seventh) as the Statesmen won the first game of the double dip.
Hernandez provided the big numbers with a 2-for-4, three-RBI, two-run showing. Evelio Ahumada (Jr., Hacienda Heights, Calif., Citrus CC), Cory Randall (Sr., What Cheer, Tri-County HS), and Chris Witrado (Sr., Fresno, Calif., West Hills CC) also had two hits. Ahumada tallied a pair of doubles.
Witrado batted in two scores, while Randall matched Hernandez by crossing home plate twice.
Chris Freedman (Sr., Walnut, Calif., Citrus CC) did just enough to win his first game of the year. Concordia scored its five runs (all earned) on eight hits, but three players struck out and two walked.
Freedman was relieved by Darren Gay (Jr., El Cajon, Calif., San Diego Mesa CC) prior to the seventh. The junior picked up his first save of 2011 in striking out two (one hit) in a scoreless final frame.
Concordia 6, Penn 4
An early 2-0 lead would not hold up in the second contest with Concordia scoring four unanswered to lead 4-2 entering the bottom of the sixth. Penn struck back with two runs, but its foe had the final say with two in the seventh to split the twinbill. The Statesmen lost the hitting battle, 9-4.
Four different players had four hits, four RBIs, and four runs scored in the losing cause.
Jorge Quezada (So., San Ysidro, Calif., Castle Park HS) allowed just one hit in the first four innings, but came undone in the latter frames. The sophomore gave up six runs (five earned) on nine hits. He sat six down on strikes and gave two batters free passes.
Penn 6, Bethel 0
The first shutout of the Pilots came via an 8-3 edge in hits and a strong mound showing by Jonathan Davis (Jr., San Diego, Calif., Southwestern CC), who gave up just three hits with eight strikeouts (one walk). Only one runner advanced into scoring position in the matchup.
Stanley Muller (Jr., Tucson, Ariz., Cochise CC) notched his first home run in the navy and gold in the three-run fifth, while Randall and Ahumada paced the Statesmen with two hits apiece.
Penn 9, Bethel 0
Seven runs in the third propelled the Statesmen to an easy win as Hernandez recorded four RBIs on two hits.
Randall again dominated Bethel pitching with a 3-for-3, two-RBI, two-run performance. Castillon and Ahumada also reached base twice on base knocks. Fields managed two RBIs on a double as well.
Devin Lange (Jr., Tucson, Ariz., Paradise Valley CC) struck out seven in a complete-game, three-hit shutout. He walked just one in his Penn debut.
Penn 3, Bethel 2
A much closer contest between the same two programs was played out two days later as Penn needed some solid pitching down the stretch to hold on for the win.
Humphrey led the offense by going 3-for-4 with two RBIs, while Ness was solid in five frames. He improved to 2-1 by allowing just two runs (both earned) on four hits, while striking out six and walking one.
Gay posted another save with two quality scoreless innings of relief. The junior struck out two against one hit and one walk.
Hannibal-LaGrange 4, Penn 1
Struggles on both ends resulted in the Statesmen’s first loss in four games. Penn had the same number of hits (4) as it did errors.
Humphrey was the lone bright spot with two hits and an RBI. Muller scored the only run.
Dennis Neal (Jr., San Leandro, Calif., Laney CC) took the loss (0-1) in spite of decent numbers (5 IP, 4 R, 2 ER, 4 H, 4 K, 4 BB), while Richard Romero (Sr., Bakersfield, Calif., West Hills CC) shut down the Trojans in two scoreless bullpen frames (one strikeout).
Penn 12, Notre Dame 7
Penn burst out to a huge 11-0 lead after three innings and cruised to the opening game win.
Humphrey had three hits (one homer) and five RBIs, while Hernandez also reached three times on hits with four runs scored. Witrado produced two hits, three RBIs, and two runs and Muller matched him with two runs.
Enriquez (3-0) claimed a sloppy win, giving up seven runs (six earned) on 13 hits over six innings. He had three strikeouts, while Romero appeared in relief (1 IP, 1 H, 2 BB).
Penn 10, Notre Dame 6
The Statesmen did much of the same in the nightcap, claiming an 8-0 advantage by the fifth inning. Penn recorded a season-high 16 hits in the win, while Quezada and Gay limited the Falcons to just five base knocks.
Witrado led off the game with a home run (his first at Penn) and finished the contest 4-for-5 with three RBIs and two runs scored.
Five others, including Danny Walsh (Jr., Crystal Lake, Ill., McHenry County CC), all notched two hits, while Hernandez, Humphrey, and Mancuso batted in two runners apiece. Castillon and Mancuso joined Witrado with a pair of runs. Eight different players had a base hit and seven scored.
Quezada (1-1) allowed five runs (one earned) on four hits in 4 2/3 innings, while striking out three and walking four. Gay collected his third save of the week with 2 1/3 frames of relief. Notre Dame scored one run (not earned) on one hit in his outing. Two batters struck out.
Penn 13, Purdue-North Central 3
The Statesmen were never threatened in the opening game of its final day, including posting eight runs in the second inning. Humphrey and Hernandez, who had a game-high three RBIs, both cleared the fence in the frame.
Castillon, Randall, Laird, and Walsh were all part of the multi-hit club with two apiece, while Castillon and Walsh finished with two RBIs as well. Hernandez came around two times as did Randall and Laird.
Freedman (2-0) let in three runs (all earned) on eight scattered base knocks. The senior posted six strikeouts and one base on balls.
Penn 14, Hannibal-LaGrange 2
The trip’s finale was a blowout with Penn eclipsing double figures in hits (15) for the seventh time. Five different players had two hits, while one of them, Muller, posted four RBIs (three others with two).
Mancuso topped all participants with three runs and Dirck Jackman (Sr., San Jose, Calif., Mission CC), Castillon, Hernandez, and Muller touched all four bases on two occasions.
Lange (2-0) tossed a three-hitter (neither of the two runs were earned) with one strikeout.
Next: Weather permitting, Penn is scheduled to host Concordia (Minn.) in a pair of doubleheaders Saturday and Sunday. Saturday’s action begins at 1 p.m. and Sunday’s play will start at noon.
