WPU 7-1 in Sunshine State
William Penn University Athletics
Florida–The Statesmen baseball team returns home from its spring break trip with a good feeling about its future prospects as it fell just once last week.
William Penn (11-3) opened the week by splitting against Hannibal-LaGrange (Mo.) on Monday, winning 7-0 and falling 5-4.
The navy and gold then ran off six in a row, including sweeps over Evangel (Mo.) on Tuesday, 6-5 and 7-1, Trinity International (Ill.) on Friday, 6-0 and 1-0, and Purdue-North Central (Ind.) on Saturday, 10-2 and 2-1.
William Penn 7, Hannibal-LaGrange 0
WPU scored in four innings, including three runs in the sixth to drop the Trojans. Kenny Hall (Jr., Morgan Hill, Calif., Exercise Science) led the charge with a 3-for-4, two-RBI showing. Sho Serrano (Jr., Lancaster, Calif., Physical Education) scored twice as William Penn outhit its foe 7-5.
Rafael Villafana (Sr., Sylmar, Calif., Communications) allowed just five hits in six scoreless innings to grab the win (1-0). He struck out six without a walk. Corey Lathram (Sr., Brentwood, Calif., Physical Education) was then perfect in a seventh-inning bullpen outing (one strikeout).
Hannibal-LaGrange 5, William Penn 4
The Statesmen pulled out to a 4-0 advantage after two innings, but H-LG responded with four in the third and then recorded the walk-off hit in the seventh.
Five different batters managed a base knock as the navy and gold was outhit 8-5. Stan Simmons (Sr., Brooklyn, N.Y., Physical Education) drove in two runs in the second, while Kyle Mauricio (Sr., Ardene Hills, Minn., Physical Education) rounded the bases twice in the setback.
Juvenal Terrazas (Jr., Sylmar, Calif., Physical Education) started the contest and gave up four runs (three earned) on six hits in five frames. He struck out four in his outing. Lathram was saddled with the loss out of the pen, permitting the winning run to cross (earned) on two hits. The senior had two Ks and two BBs.
William Penn 6, Evangel 5
William Penn was on the right side of a rally the next day in its opener against Evangel. Down 5-1 entering the bottom of the seventh, the Statesmen produced five runs, highlighted by a two-run single by Hall. Matt Emerson (Jr., Saugus, Calif., Business Management) tallied the game-winner on a Simmons’ single.
The victors, who were outhit 8-5, posted all five hits in their seventh-inning at-bats. Brian Williams (Sr., Los Angeles, Calif., Physical Education) scored twice in the win.
Jon Davis (Jr., Hayward, Calif., Undecided) tossed six solid innings, giving up three runs (one earned) on seven hits (four Ks, one BB), but Jacob Logan (Jr., Galesburg, Ill., Psychology) claimed the win in relief. The junior (2-0) struck out one in one inning of work.
William Penn 7, Evangel 1
Things were not near as stressful as WPU completed the EU sweep. Four players had multiple base hits, led by three from William Vazquez (Fr., North Hollywood, Calif., General Accounting). Serrano, with two runs and two RBIs, and Mauricio, with two RBIs, were both 2-for-3 as was Enrique Alvarado (Sr., Lancaster, Calif., Sociology). WPU notched an 11-7 margin in hits.
Matt Vasquez (Jr., Lancaster, Calif., Business Management) was strong, giving up the only run (earned) over five hits in five innings of action. The junior struck out six batters without a walk.
Logan and Lathram (two Ks) had short relief appearances.
William Penn 6, Trinity International 0
The Statesmen were scheduled to have Wednesday off, but then also did not see the diamond on Thursday against Madonna due to a rainout. They got back to winning on Friday, though, with their third shutout of the year, led by a great showing by Josh Ruiz (Jr., Chula Vista, Calif., General Mathematics). He permitted only four hits with nine strikeouts and two walks.
William Penn was ahead just 1-0 entering the final two frames, but posted two more in the sixth and three more in the seventh. Vazquez was a perfect 3-for-3 with two RBIs, while Mauricio and Nick Perez (So., Greeley, Colo., Physical Education) were each 2-for-4. Williams matched Vazquez with a pair of RBIs, while Simmons rounded the pads two times. The winning team had a 10-4 edge in base knocks.
Defensively, the navy and gold did not commit an error. The team fielded at a .967 rate with only eight mistakes all week.
William Penn 1, Trinity International 0
Collin Schulz (Fr., Ottumwa, Iowa, Undecided) scratched out the matchup’s only run by scoring on a sacrifice bunt by Simmons in the third inning. The sides combined for 14 hits (8-6 WPU), led by Alvarado who was 3-for-3.
Kyle Kutzler (Fr., Kenosha, Wis., Industrial Technology) scattered six hits in 5 1/3 scoreless innings to even his season mark at 1-1. The freshman had eight strikeouts with one walk. Lathram earned his first save with 1 2/3 perfect innings (two strikeouts).
William Penn 10, Purdue-North Central 2
The Statesmen scored six of their season-best ten runs in the first two innings and cruised to another victory. A season-high 16 hits were also recorded in the win. Eight different players produced at least one hit, led by Schulz who was 4-for-4 (two runs).
Mauricio was 3-for-3 (two RBIs), while Alvarado went 2-for-2 (three runs) and Simmons was 2-for-4 (two runs). Patrick Roxbury (Jr., Canyon Country, Calif., Sociology) was also 2-for-4.
All of that offense was more than enough for Kyle Maldonado (Jr., Centerville, Iowa, Physical Education). The junior (1-0) gave up two runs (one earned) on three hits in six frames, while striking out six (three walks). Villafana hurled a perfect seventh inning.
William Penn 2, Purdue-North Central 1
WPU extended its winning streak to six when Emerson’s fifth-inning go-ahead run held up. Both squads finished with five hits with Davis and Vasquez combining to do the mound work. Davis gave up one run (earned) on four hits in four frames (two Ks), while Vasquez (3-0) collected the win with three shutout frames (one hit).
Next: William Penn travels to Eureka, Ill. this weekend for a pair of doubleheaders against Eureka. On Saturday, the teams face off beginning at 3:30 p.m., while Sunday’s double dip starts at 1 p.m.
