Statesmen Split Tight Twinbill with Clarke
The Statesmen Baseball team split the doubleheader with Clarke on Saturday.
Oskaloosa–On a day when one of their starters returned to the diamond, the William Penn baseball team went 1-1 against Clarke in Midwest Collegiate Conference action Saturday.
WPU (13-11, 3-1 MCC) won the opener 9-6, but fell in the nightcap 5-4.
Originally figured to be lost for the season with a broken jaw suffered on March 13, Steven Sattz (Jr., Pickering, Ontario, Physical Education) healed better and quicker than expected and was surprisingly back in the lineup Saturday after a two-plus week absence. While the junior finished the day 2-for-4 with two RBIs, his presence more importantly should have served as inspiration for the navy and gold.
The Crusaders (12-12, 3-3 MCC) were not impressed, though, getting a run in each of the first three innings of the first contest. The Statesmen answered with two of their own in the first, highlighted by a two-run double by Kenny Hall (Sr., Morgan Hill., Calif., Exercise Science).
Two more came across in the third with Sattz driving in one on a single. Cory DeRush (Sr., Grand Junction, Colo., Business Management) then tripled in one of the two fourth-inning runs, while another tally was plated in the fifth for a 7-3 advantage. The visitors narrowed the margin to two in the top of the sixth, only to see WPU get both back with an RBI single via Connor Sutton (Jr., Gilroy, Calif., Sociology) and another run-scoring double from Hall.
The score was 9-5 entering the final frame and while starter Matt Vasquez (Sr., Lancaster, Calif., Business Management) did a good job scattering eight hits (four earned runs), the ball was handed to Logan Overly (Jr., Oakley, Calif., Secondary Education) to finish the job. Overly worked himself into a bit of trouble by loading the bases and allowing one run, but finally closed the door with a strike out looking (two Ks in the inning).
Vasquez, who had two strikeouts (one walk), is now 3-0 this spring. The hosts outhit CU 12-10 and were paced by Hall (3-for-3, 3 RBIs), DeRush (3-for-4, 3 Rs), and Patrick Roxbury (Sr., Canyon, Calif., Sociology) (2-for-3). Sutton also scored twice.
The Crusaders jumped out to a 4-0 advantage through two and a half frames in a sloppy nightcap that featured eight errors (four for each teams).
William Penn got right back into it with all four of its runs in the bottom of the third. Roxbury and Sattz each had an RBI single as Clarke assisted with two errors as well.
Unfortunately, the visitors recaptured the lead for good with one run in the top of the seventh. WPU had chances to get some late runs, but double plays ended rallies in both the sixth and seventh frames.
DeRush was 2-for-4 at the dish as his team was outhit 9-6. Tyler Martinez (Jr., San Diego, Calif., Sociology) had a performance similar to that of game one starter Vasquez, giving up four runs (two earned) on eight hits in six innings of work. He struck out two with one walk.
Cole Williams (Sr., Napa, Calif., Physical Education) relieved him in the seventh, but was saddled with the loss in permitting the eventual winning run (unearned). He is now 2-4 in 2015.
Next Up: The two sides will square off again on Sunday in another double dip beginning at noon.
