Statesmen Win First Two of 2014
William Penn University Athletics
Ottawa, Kan.–The William Penn baseball team scored late in each of Sunday’s matchups to secure two wins on its first day of 2014 competition.
The Statesmen (2-0) defeated Concordia (Neb.) 6-1 and host Ottawa 3-2 in eight innings. It is the program’s first 2-0 start since 2009.
William Penn outhit the Bulldogs 13-5 in the season opener, but led just 2-1 entering the seventh frame. The navy and gold got on the board first in the third when Kyle Mauricio (Sr., Ardene Hills, Minn., Physical Education), who led off with a double, scored on a wild pitch.
Patrick Roxbury (Jr., Canyon Country, Calif., Sociology) then led off the fourth inning with a single. Collin Schulz (Fr., Ottumwa, Iowa, Undecided) pinch-ran for the junior and moved over to third base on an infield single and one of three CU errors. The freshman finally made it 2-0 by scoring on a bases-loaded walk drawn by William Vazquez (Fr., North Hollywood, Calif., General Accounting).
The Bulldogs cut the margin in half in the bottom half of the fourth and the score remained the same entering the seventh. William Penn put the game away in the top half, though, by recording four runs on four hits. Nick Perez (So., Greeley, Colo., Physical Education) had the biggest hit of the inning with a double–one of three by WPU in the win.
Roxbury was 3-for-4 with an RBI, while Perez (one RBI) and Mauricio (two runs) were both 2-for-3. Stan Simmons (Sr., Brooklyn, N.Y., Physical Education) and Brian Williams (Sr., Los Angeles, Calif., Physical Education) also went 2-for-4, and Schulz matched Mauricio with two runs scored.
Josh Ruiz (Jr., Chula Vista, Calif., General Mathematics) claimed the win, allowing just one run on five hits in six innings. The junior, who struck out five, handed the ball over to Corey Lathram (Sr., Brentwood, Calif., Physical Education) who pitched a perfect seventh inning.
The Statesmen offense was slowed against Ottawa (outhit 8-4), but another strong hurling effort, in addition to five Brave errors, helped WPU get on top in the day’s nightcap.
Three of Ottawa’s fielding miscues gave way to a 2-0 William Penn lead in the sixth inning. Sho Serrano (Jr., Lancaster, Calif., Physical Education) scored on error and Cory DeRush (Jr., Grand Junction, Colo., Business Management) crossed home plate on a suicide squeeze bunt by Enrique Alvarado (Sr., Lancaster, Calif., Sociology).
Unfortunately, Ottawa rallied with two runs in the bottom of the seventh to force extra frames. Mauricio got things going in the eighth by reaching on a one-out error. He then advanced to third on a Simmons double and scored the game-deciding run on a fielder’s choice.
Jon Davis (Jr., Hayward, Calif., Undecided) permitted five base knocks in 4 2/3 scoreless frames. He struck out two batters on a day in which Statesmen pitchers had 11 Ks versus just one walk.
Jacob Logan (Jr., Galesburg, Ill., Psychology) got into trouble in his 2 1/3-inning relief outing, but Kyle Maldonado (Jr., Centerville, Iowa, Physical Education) saved the day in the eighth. Maldonado entered with one on and nobody out, but closed it out with a perfect frame (one strikeout).
Logan earned the win as he was still in the game when WPU took the lead for good in the top of the eighth.
Next: William Penn travels to Conway, Ark. for a four-game set against Central Baptist Friday and Saturday. Friday’s doubleheader begins at 1 p.m., while Saturday’s double dip starts at noon.
