Statesmen Fall Twice at St. Ambrose
William Penn University Athletics
Davenport–The Penn baseball team failed to secure the opener and then could not regain the momentum in the nightcap in losing a pair of Midwest Collegiate Conference games to St. Ambrose Sunday.
In a doubleheader that was moved back one day due to poor weather conditions, the Statesmen (15-9, 2-5 MCC) fell 3-2 (11 innings) and 9-4 to the Fighting Bees (5-11, 2-4 MCC).
Although the two programs combined for 17 total hits (9-8 SAU) in the opener, the visitors were finally the firsts to strike in the top of the tenth. Daniel Wehr (Jr., Sigourney, Sigourney HS) began the frame with a single and was moved to third on a sacrifice and a single. Jerry Hernandez (Sr., Moreno Valley, Calif., Chaffey CC) then broke the scoreless tie with another one-bagger to plate the junior.
Kyle Humphrey (Sr., Boise, Idaho, Skagit Valley CC) tacked on the other Penn run, bringing Tony Mancuso (Jr., Covina, Calif., Citrus CC) around on an additional single.
Jonathan Davis (Jr., San Diego, Calif., Southwestern CC), in relief of Darren Gay (Jr., El Cajon, Calif., San Diego Mesa CC), unfortunately could not close out the contest, allowing two runs to cross in the bottom of the tenth and the teams continued to play into the 11th inning.
Danny Walsh (Jr., Crystal Lake, Ill., McHenry County CC) reached on an error and stole second base, but was stranded there, setting up the home squad’s bottom-half heroics.
Mancuso and Humphrey paced Penn with two hits apiece.
Gay pitched extremely well in the start, limiting the opposition to just four hits in eight shutout innings. He struck out six without a walk.
Davis did not have as much luck, however, in falling to 2-2. The junior gave up three runs (none earned) on five hits in 2 2/3 frames. He picked up three strikeouts against two walks.
The Statesmen jumped out on top again in the second matchup as well, putting two on the board in the second on a Richard Romero (Sr., Bakersfield, Calif., West Hills CC) single that scored Chris Witrado (Sr., Fresno, Calif., West Hills CC) and Evelio Ahumada (Jr., Hacienda Heights, Calif., Citrus CC).
The visitors were again unable to hold the lead with the Fighting Bees scoring four runs in both the second and third frames. Another SAU run came across in the fifth, while Penn managed two non-threatening runs before bowing out in the final frame. Hernandez and Humphrey touched all four bases in the seventh.
Penn was outhit 11-9 and left eight runners on base. Nine different players tallied one base knock each.
Devin Lange (Jr., Tucson, Ariz., Paradise Valley CC) took the loss (2-1), allowing eight runs (six earned) on seven hits in 2 1/3 innings of action. He had three Ks and one BB.
Brad McGuire (So., Covina, Calif., Citrus CC) was productive in relief as just one run (earned) was plated on four hits. He tallied three strikeouts in 3 2/3 frames.
Next: Penn travels back to Davenport Monday for the rubber match of the series–a single, nine-inning game beginning at 3 p.m.
