Penn Gets Offensive to Take Final Game Against Bees
William Penn University Athletics
Davenport–The Statesmen baseball team took out some aggression on the St. Ambrose pitching staff in a 12-2 Midwest Collegiate Conference win Monday.
A day after being swept in league action, Penn (16-9, 3-5 MCC) tallied 15 hits and had a grand total of 25 baserunners in the nine-inning contest. In turn, the Fighting Bees dropped to 5-12 overall and 2-5 in the MCC.
The visitors struck first with three runs in the third frame, highlighted by doubles from Jerry Hernandez (Sr., Moreno Valley, Calif., Chaffey CC) and Brad Chin (Jr., San Rafael, Calif., San Rafael HS).
St. Ambrose responded with its lone two runs in the fifth, but would get no closer as Penn immediately added three more in the sixth. Hernandez, Danny Walsh (Jr., Crystal Lake, Ill., McHenry County CC), and Cory Randall (Sr., What Cheer, Tri-County HS), with a double, all managed run-scoring base knocks.
The Statesmen put the game out of reach with five more in the eighth, including a two-run single from Kyle Humphrey (Sr., Boise, Idaho, Skagit Valley CC). A final run was tacked on in the ninth for good measure.
Eight of Penn’s nine starters either had a hit or scored a run (five did both). Hernandez topped his squad by going 4-for-5 with three RBIs and two runs scored.
Randall was next, collecting three hits in four at-bats, while Walsh, Chin, and Chris Witrado (Sr., Fresno, Calif., West Hills CC) all tallied a pair of base knocks. Chin and Humphrey concluded the day with two RBIs as well.
Randall led all participants by putting three runs on the board, whereas Witrado and pinchrunner Stanley Muller (Jr., Tucson, Ariz., Cochise CC) matched Hernandez by touching all the bases twice.
The hitters were not the only ones in navy and gold to find success Monday as Penn’s hurlers also outperformed the host program.
Chris Freedman (Sr., Walnut, Calif., Citrus CC) gave up just two runs (both earned) on seven scattered hits in 5 2/3 innings of action. He struck out one and walked four to move to 3-1 on the spring.
Dennis Neal (Jr., San Leandro, Calif., Laney CC) was unhittable in his relief outing, throwing 3 1/3 scoreless frames with four strikeouts. He only struggled with his command at times, allowing three free passes to St. Ambrose batters.
Next: Penn travels to Clinton Thursday to meet Ashford in a single, nine-inning MCC contest beginning at 1 p.m.
