Statesmen Keep Season Alive with Sweep of Graceland
William Penn University Athletics
Oskaloosa–William Penn kept its postseason dreams intact at least for a few more hours by taking care of Graceland in a Heart of America Athletic Conference baseball sweep Thursday.
The Statesmen (22-23, 12-18 Heart) won by scores of 4-3 and 10-1. WPU’s work is nowhere close to done as it still must replicate the sweep on Friday (1 p.m. start vs. GU) AND get a four-game sweep by Benedictine over Peru State to earn a bid to the Heart Tournament.
The Yellowjackets (18-40, 7-23 Heart) made it difficult for the home team early, scoring two runs in the top of the third. Daniel Macias (Jr., Chula Vista, Calif., Physical Education) cut the margin in half with a tally in the bottom of the frame to make it 2-1.
Graceland went back up by two runs in the fourth and the lead held until the bottom of the fifth inning. The navy and gold proceeded to load the bases and then Robert Phiakeo (Sr., San Diego, Calif., Business Management) cleared them with a go-ahead three-run double down the left field line.
Tyler Martinez (Sr., San Diego, Calif., Sociology) had a rough start, but settled in to pick up the win. The senior limited the visitors to two earned runs on six hits in the complete game. He walked two without a strikeout.
The Statesmen matched GU with six hits, including two from Dominik Sawyer (Jr., San Diego, Calif., Psychology and Human Services). Macias came around twice, while Colton Johnson (Jr., Westminster, Calif., Physical Education) tallied a hit and walked twice.
That momentum carried into the nightcap as WPU put five runs on the board in the first inning. Both Phiakeo and Javier Gonzalez (Jr., Lakeside, Calif., Physical Education) produced two-run singles.
Sawyer then brought in Johnny Valdez (Jr., San Jacinto, Calif., Business Management) on a suicide squeeze bunt play in the third to make it 6-0. The game was basically put out of reach in the fourth when William Penn tacked on four final runs. Anthony York (Jr., Chula Vista, Calif., Physical Education) managed a two-run double, while Sawyer added a two-run single to conclude the scoring.
In a game that witnessed the hosts own a 9-2 edge in hits, York finished 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs. Gonzalez was 3-for-3 with a pair of RBIs as well. Despite not producing a hit, Valdez had a great game as he reached base all four times (three walks, one hit-by-pitch); the junior scored on three occasions.
Sawyer ended up with three runs driven in, while Phiakeo tallied two RBIs.
Starting hurler Dakota Herman (Fr., Woodland Park, Colo., Biology) worked out of trouble in each of the first three innings and then like Martinez, he also settled down. The freshman southpaw permitted just one hit in six shutout innings. He struck out five and also walked five.
