Big Inning Assists in Split with Yellowjackets
William Penn University Athletics
Lamoni–A 10-run inning in the second contest lifted the Statesmen baseball squad to a split of a Heart of America Athletic Conference doubleheader against Graceland Saturday.
William Penn (17-18, 6-12 Heart) lost the opener 8-5, but won the nightcap 16-6. The teams will conclude their four-game weekend set Sunday with another doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.
The host Yellowjackets (9-23, 3-11 Heart) scored first with one run in the bottom of the first, but Anthony Aguila (Jr., Highland, Calif., Kinesiology) started a big day for himself by answering with a solo home run in the second frame.
GU went back up 2-1 in the third, only to see the Statesmen post four runs in the fifth. The frame’s scoring began with a single by Dominik Sawyer (Sr., Chula Vista, Calif., Psychology and Human Services) to plate Aguila. Jeysen Delgado (Jr., Harbor City, Calif., Kinesiology) then brought in Colton Johnson (Sr., Westminster, Calif., Physical Education) on a double, while Delgado and pinchrunner Rudy Saenz (Fr., El Paso, Texas, Exercise Science) touched home plate on a single by Julian Villegas (Jr., Wilmington, Calif., Sociology).
Unfortunately, Graceland finished strong with three runs in the bottom of the fifth to tie the score and three more in the sixth to take the lead for good.
William Penn was outhit 9-6.
GU looked primed to complete the sweep as it went ahead 3-0 after the first inning of the second outing. Fortunately, the Statesmen rallied with one in the second (Delgado singled in Villegas) and two more in the third. Aguila left the park yet again with another solo HR (leads team with five this year). Cory Russell (Sr., El Cajon, Calif., Education) then rounded the pads later, eventually putting another tally up on a sacrifice fly by Tyler Raskin (Sr., Vancouver, Wash., Business Management).
The home team broke the 3-3 tie in the bottom of the third, but the navy and gold took control of the game in the fifth with 10 runs. Aguila and Johnson highlighted the monstrous inning as each managed a two-run single.
The Statesmen tacked on three insurance runs in the last two innings, including a solo shot by Aaron Petrash (Fr., North Miami, Fla., Digital Communication) (his first of 2017) in the seventh.
Guided by Delgado and Johnson with three base knocks apiece, WPU outhit GU 17-9. Aguila, Villegas, Petrash, and Sawyer all contributed two hits as well. Aguila also drove in three runs, while Johnson and Sawyer were good for two RBIs each. Petrash and Russell both completed the trek around the bases three times, and Aguila, Johnson, and Wilson Lorenzo (So., Fort Myers, Fla., Computer Science) did so two times each in the win.
D.J. Milam (Jr., Lancaster, Calif., Business Management) settled in after a tough start, striking out five against three walks in 5 1/3 innings on the mound. Only two of the five runs the junior permitted were earned. Scott Simpson (Jr., Berwick, Victoria, Exercise Science) produced two strikeouts in 1 2/3 relief innings as well.
