WPU Falters Late Before Rain Interferes

William Penn University Athletics

Oskaloosa–The Statesmen baseball team started hot Saturday, but struggled down the stretch in a 17-9 loss to AIB in Midwest Collegiate Conference action.

William Penn (17-19, 7-9 MCC) led 9-6 in the bottom of the fourth of the nightcap, but Mother Nature delivered the day’s knockout punch as a thunderstorm went through Oskaloosa and forced the suspension of the doubleheader.

Depending on tonight and tomorrow morning’s weather, this weekend’s four-game set may in peril. If the forecast cooperates, the teams will begin play at 1 p.m. with the conclusion of today’s second game. They will then face off in two more seven-inning contests.

The Eagles (19-20, 14-7 MCC) scored first with two runs in the first, but the home squad sent 11 batters to the plate en route to scoring eight runs in the bottom half. Cory DeRush (Sr., Grand Junction, Colo., Business Management) highlighted the big frame with a two-run home run, while Kenny Hall (Sr., Morgan Hill., Calif., Exercise Science) had a two-run double and Robert Phiakeo (Jr., San Diego, Calif., Business Management) added a two-run single. It was DeRush’s second roundtripper of 2015.

Sho Serrano (Sr., Lancaster, Calif., Physical Education) added a run-scoring single in the second to extend the advantage to 9-2. That margin held until the fourth inning, but AIB slowly began to chip away from there. The visitors finished the game with 15 straight runs to close out the battle, including seven in the sixth.

Connor Sutton (Jr., Gilroy, Calif., Sociology) went 2-for-3, while Phiakeo, Patrick Roxbury (Sr., Canyon, Calif., Sociology), and J.P. Rios (Jr., San Diego, Calif., Business Management) all finished 2-for-4. DeRush, Phiakeo, and Hall had two RBIs each and Phiakeo rounded the bases two times. The Statesmen were outhit 16-12.

Five different William Penn pitchers worked on the mound in the loss.