Statesmen Bats Come Out Hot, Get Two Wins on Opening Day
William Penn University Athletics
by Wade Steinlage
Moore, Okla.–The William Penn baseball team opened its 2019 season with a doubleheader in Oklahoma taking on Randall.
There may be a polar vortex chilling most of the Midwest, but the Statesmen bats were hot on Friday. William Penn (2-0) defeated Randall (2-10) in both matchups, exploding for 33 runs across the two games.
WPU 19, Randall 7
The navy and gold got on the board early in the top of the first inning with a two-RBI single courtesy of Jarrett Hunt (Jr., Logan, Utah, Digital Communication). This was just the beginning for the bats though. In the top of the second, Tanner Bedier (Fr., Bondurant, Iowa, Business Management) uncorked a three-run home run to put the Statesmen up 5-0. From there the route was on.
WPU collected 16 hits in the game and blasted three round trippers including a pair off the bat of Zach Edgar (Jr., Elgin, Ill., Business Management) in his first game as a Statesmen. Anthony Huggins (So., Davenport, Fla., Biology) also made his mark in his debut cranking a solo shot in the top of the third.
Six players collected multi-hit games in the win. Hunt finished with three hits, Adrian Garcia (Jr. Ontario, Calif., Mechanical Engineering) finished 2-5 (2 RBI), Blaze Speas (Sr., O’Fallon, Mo., Wellness and Recreation) was 2-4 (3 runs), Dominic Bravo (Jr., Downey, Calif., Digital Communication) went 2-5 (3B, 3 RBI), Edgar finished 2-5 (2 HR, 3 RBI) and Huggins rounded out the squad going 2-3 (HR, 3 runs).
Lionel Colon (Jr., Puerto Real, P.R., Business Management) got the start on the mound in game one and the Junior right-hander did not disappoint. Colon went five strong allowing just three earned runs and striking out seven Saints, only surrendering one walk.
WPU 14, Randall 1
In the second game of the doubleheader, Chase Stratton (Jr., Clearfield, Utah, Sports Management) got call on the bump to make his Statesmen debut. The lefty kept the Saints off balance all game, managing to go the distance, allowing just two hits and one run while striking out 11 batters and walking none.
Behind a great pitching performance, William Penn continued its great day at the plate collecting 16 hits.
Bravo got things going in the first with a sac-fly, scoring Garcia. In the third, Bedier hit a solo homer, his second of the day to increase the lead to 3-0.
The navy and gold then broke it open in the fourth, plating eight runs highlighted by a pair of two-RBI singles off the bat of Seth Reisbeck (Sr., Meridian, Id., History/Government) and Speas. Speas later added his first home run of the season, a two-run shot in the fifth. Reisbeck finished the game 3-4 (2B, 2 RBI).
Reisbeck and Speas along with three other WPU hitters had multi-hit games. Bravo finished 3-5 (2 RBI), Bedier went 2-3 (2 R, 2 BB), and Edgar finished 2-5 (2B, 2 RBI).
“The guys played really well for the first time out.” Head Coach Mike Laird said, “It was a really good team effort.”
Next Up: William Penn will finish the four-game set against Randall tomorrow with first pitch Scheduled for 12 p.m.
