Graversen’s Two Blasts, Wild Walk-Off Lead to Two Statesmen Wins

Oskaloosa–The William Penn baseball team took the field at home for the first time in 2021 as they matched up with the Grand View Vikings.

The opening doubleheader treated the Statesmen well as the team swept both ends of their opening action, winning the first game in walkoff fashion, 7-6, and winning the second game 11-5.

WPU 7, GVU 6

Chase Stratton (Sr., Clearfield, Utah, Sports Management) started the first game of the series for the Statesmen, looking to build off his strong run of pitching that has seen him allow only one earned run in his last 21 innings. The Vikings got to him early, however, breaking through for two runs in the top of the first inning.

The Statesmen went down in quick succession in the first inning, but the second inning proved to be different. Dominic Bravo (Sr., Downey, Calif., Digital Communications) led off with a single into center field. Soren Graversen (Jr., Calgary, Alberta, Human Services) then took an 0-1 pitch and hit a majestic drive into right, hitting high off the wall of the PAC beyond the right field fence. His team-leading sixth blast of the year tied the game up at two.

The two starters settled in following the second as the game remained tied at two heading into the fifth inning. After striking out the first two batters of the fifth, Grand View broke through again with a solo home run to right-center field of Stratton to take a one run lead.

The Statesmen were able to push across a run in the sixth, as three free passes and an error were able to score Tanner Bedier (So., Bondurant, Iowa, Sports Management). Unfortunately, the Vikings struck back hard with three runs in the top of the seventh, putting a damper on the opening day festivities.

The three run deficit set the stage for a wild finish to the game. Adrian Garcia (Sr., Ontario, Calif., Mechanical Engineering) doubled with one out to get things going. Jarrett Hunt (Sr., Logan, Utah, Digital Communications) followed and, after falling down to his last strike, hit a slow ground ball to short and burned down the basepath, beating the throw from the shortstop with a headlong dive to keep the game alive. Bravo came up and blasted a double into right-center field, scoring Hunt and putting the tying run in scoring position. Jackson McLain (So., Farmington, Minn., Business Management) came into pinch run for Bravo, and Graversen was given the intentional pass to first to set up a force at every base. The Vikings attempted to pull off a backdoor pickoff of Graversen at first base, but the pitcher threw the ball up the right field line and McLain scored all the way from second base to tie the game at six. Jameson Hart (Sr., Sarnia, Ontario, Sports Management) came up two batters later and laced a single into left-center field, scoring Graversen and giving the Statesmen victory from the jaws of defeat.

Stratton earned the victory to improve his record to 4-1 after his fourth consecutive complete game. He allowed six runs (five earned) on eight hits and two walks, striking out six.

Graversen reached base three times in the victory, hitting the home run and drawing a free pass and a hit by pitch. He and Hart both drove in two runs apiece. Garcia, Bravo, Hart each turned in multi-hit performances in the thrilling comeback win.

WPU 11, GVU 5

The second game started off relatively uneventful as both starting pitchers traded two scoreless innings to begin the game. The Vikings put together four hits in the top of the third, though, and jumped out to a 3-0 lead. Looking to strike back, Garcia was hit by a pitch to lead off the home half of the third, and Bedier lifted a single just over the shortstop to put two runners on for Hunt. Hunt blasted a ball over the head of the center fielder to drive in Garcia, and Bravo grounded out to short to score Bedier and bring the game within a run.

Jacob Wiechmann (Jr., Santa Cruz, Calif., Computer Science) shut down the Vikings in the fourth, and the Statesmen bats kept momentum in the home half. Seven consecutive batters reached base and scored to begin the inning, punctuated by another home run by Graversen, this one of the three run variety. Graversen’s seventh big fly of the season made his first one look like a wallscraper, flying high into the evening sky and bouncing off the top of the PAC roof.

The Statesmen pushed another run across in the fifth inning as Bravo drove home Rhett Zelinsky (Fr., Brookings, S.D.with a single to right on a beautifully designed hit and run. The Vikings hit back with one in the top of the sixth, but the Statesmen answered right back with another run in the bottom half. Zach Edgar (Sr., Elgin, Ill., Business Management) came in relief of Wiechmann and slammed the door in the seventh.

Wiechmann earned the victory, throwing six innings while allowing five runs (four earned) on nine hits, striking out four. Edgar allowed only the one walk in his lone inning of work.

Every member of the starting lineup reached base safely in the contest, with only one batter not recording a hit. Hunt and Bravo turned in the only multi-hit performances on the team, while Graversen and Bravo each led the way with three RBI each.

“That was a fantastic comeback by our guys in the first game,” said Head Coach Mike Laird. “It was a great way for us to start off our first home game. We have some things to work on still, but we’ll be right back at it tomorrow to try and win the series.”

What’s Next: The Statesmen will conclude their four game series against Grand View on Sunday at Penn field, with first pitch slated for 1 PM.