WPU Splits Season-Opening DH Against McPherson

William Penn University Athletics

McPherson, Kan.–Cory Russell (Sr., El Cajon, Calif., Education) enjoyed a great first day as a senior on the William Penn baseball team, helping the Statesmen to a split against non-conference foe McPherson Saturday.

WPU (1-1) lost the opener 21-7, but rebounded with a 4-2 victory in the nightcap. The teams will face off in another doubleheader Sunday beginning at 1 p.m.

The squads were tied 2-2 early in game one, but the Bulldogs (5-1) blew the contest open with five runs in the bottom of the third inning. Unfortunately, MC, which outhit the navy and gold 19-12, added two more big frames to claim the opener.

Russell finished 3-for-3 with three RBIs, while Jeysen Delgado (Jr., Harbor City, Calif., Kinesiology) was 2-for-4 with a solo home run. Julian Villegas (Jr., Wilmington, Calif., Sociology) scored two runs in the setback as well.

In the second matchup, the hosts pulled out to a 2-0 lead after three innings. The Statesmen finally got on the board in the fourth when Phillip Berman (Jr., Long Beach, Calif., Biology) brought home Russell with a double. Berman had a pair of doubles as WPU owned a 9-7 edge in hits.

William Penn then took the lead for good with a three-run fifth frame. Villegas, with a double, and Dominik Sawyer (Sr., Chula Vista, Calif., Psychology and Human Services), with a single, started the inning with one-out hits, and then Russell drove in three on a home run. Russell ended the win by going 2-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs.

Felipe Hernandez (Jr., North Hollywood, Calif., Sociology) allowed two earned runs in six innings to collect the win in his debut on the mound. The junior struck out three with two walks. Frankie Nunez (Sr., Lemon Grove, Calif., Sociology) earned the save with two strikeouts in one inning of relief work.