Offense Slowed by Wildcats
Baldwin City, Kan.–The Statesmen baseball team was unable to get the bats going Saturday as it was swept by Baker in a Heart of America Athletic Conference doubleheader.
William Penn (9-12, 1-5 Heart) lost by scores of 8-2 and 3-2. In both outings, the navy and gold recorded six hits.
Conversely, the Wildcats (9-15, 7-3 Heart) managed 10 base knocks in the opener.
The visitors got on the board in the first frame of the day’s first outing as Hector Dominguez (So., Fontana, Calif., Exercise Science) singled in Zach Otten (Jr., Mapleton, Ill.).
BU answered with a two-run home run in the bottom half, but WPU knotted the contest at 2-2 when Otten drove in Marco Ayala (So., San Francisco, Calif., New Media) with a one-bagger.
Unfortunately, the rest of the game belonged to Baker as it scored once in the fifth and four more times in the sixth.
Otten guided the navy and gold with a 2-for-4 showing, while Justin Martinez (Sr., Bronx, N.Y., Sports Management) got on twice (one hit, one walk).
Outhit just 8-6 in the nightcap, the Statesmen again scored first as Otten touched home plate in the first inning. The junior was 2-for-3 in the outing.
The advantage was doubled in the third via a Martinez single that plated Otten. Martinez was perfect at the dish, going 2-for-2 with a walk.
A ground-rule double by the hosts in the bottom of the third evened the bout at 2-2, and BU scored the eventual go-ahead run in the sixth. William Penn unfortunately failed to produce a response as it went down in order in the top of the seventh.
Joel Holguin (Jr., San Bernardino, Calif., Sociology) was effective in the role of starting pitcher, giving up three runs (two earned) on eight scattered hits. The junior tallied four strikeouts versus three walks.
“Baker was the better team today,” Head Coach Mike Laird said. “We should have won the second game, but again failed to make a play in the outfield that costs us a couple runs. This seems to be our Achilles’ Heel thus far.”
Next Up: William Penn remains in Baldwin City, Kan. Sunday to face Baker in another Heart doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.
