Extra-Inning Walk-Off Win Leads to Non-Conference Split
William Penn University Athletics
Oskaloosa–A long night at the ballpark concluded with the Statesmen baseball team netting a share of a non-conference doubleheader against Mount Mercy Thursday.
William Penn (19-15) won the opener 6-5 (10 innings) and lost the nightcap 11-1.
In a contest that lasted a full three hours, both sides scored one run in the first inning of the opener. Robert Phiakeo (Sr., San Diego, Calif., Business Management) drove in Daniel Macias (Jr., Chula Vista, Calif., Physical Education) on a single for WPU’s initial tally.
Three scoreless frames followed before the Mustangs (24-11) seemed to take control of the matchup with a four-run fifth. Fortunately, the navy and gold did not flinch and answered with two quick runs in the bottom half. Phiakeo’s sacrifice fly brought in Macias again, while Colton Johnson (Jr., Westminster, Calif., Physical Education) touched the final base on a wild pitch.
Two more WPU runs were plated in the sixth, highlighted by a lead-off triple from Johnny Valdez (Jr., San Jacinto, Calif., Business Management). The junior scored on a one-bagger by Javier Gonzalez (Jr., Lakeside, Calif., Physical Education) in the next at-bat, while Macias’ single scored Gonzalez later in the inning to knot the contest at 5-5.
William Penn was on the verge of closing out the matchup in the seventh, eighth, and ninth frames, but each time the squad unfortunately could not manage a timely hit. Finally, with Tevin Nishiyama (Sr., Honolulu, Hawaii, Physical Education) standing on third base with two outs in the 10th, Dominik Sawyer (Jr., Chula Vista, Calif., Psychology and Human Services) hit a sharp grounder to the MMU third baseman which was mishandled and Nishiyama scored the game-winner. It stood as the only fielding mistake by the visitors.
WPU and its foe tallied 13 hits each, while the Statesmen overcame a pair of errors. Macias was 3-for-4 with two runs scored, while Sawyer finished 3-for-5. Phiakeo posted two RBIs. Nine different Statesmen had at least one base knock.
Dakota Herman (Woodland Park, Colo., Biology) started the game and struck out four (one walk) in 4 2/3 innings. Trent Barnett (Fr., Eddyville, Iowa, Accounting) then worked three scoreless innings before Jacob Davidson (Sr., Bloomfield, Iowa, Psychology and Sociology) relieved him in the eighth. The senior (1-0) went on to earn the win, tossing another 2 1/3 scoreless frames with one strikeout.
The nightcap was a completely different beast as the programs combined to use over 40 participants. Not willing to lose any additional pitchers in a game that did not count towards the league standings, the Statesmen coaching staff utilized the quartet of positional players Tyler Raskin (Jr., Vancouver, Wash., Business Management), Marcus Littleton (Jr., Norwalk, Iowa, Communications), Macias, and William Vazquez (Jr., North Hollywood, Calif., General Accounting)–none of whom have tossed a single pitch all year–to face the Mustangs.
The starter Raskin, with five strikeouts in four innings, and Macias, with four K’s in 1 2/3 relief frames, had the best success, while Vazquez also produced a strikeout in a scoreless seventh inning.
Unfortunately, the Mustangs scored in four separate innings (two with multiple runs) to easily take the victory.
WPU was outhit 16-5 and committed four fielding mistakes. The best navy and gold moment came in the seventh when Valdez broke up the shutout with a solo home run that cleared the left-field fence. The junior now leads his squad with four home runs. Phiakeo paced the Statesmen with two hits.
Next Up: William Penn travels to Des Moines this weekend for a four-game Heart of America Athletic Conference set against Grand View. Saturday’s doubleheader begins at 1 p.m., while Sunday’s twinbill starts at noon.
