Statesmen Lose Twice to Ashford
William Penn University Athletics
Oskaloosa–The William Penn baseball team failed to solidify its hold on one of the tournament-qualifying spots as it was swept in a Midwest Collegiate Conference doubleheader by Ashford Saturday.
The Statesmen (13-21, 6-8 MCC) lost by scores of 4-0 and 5-4. They remain in fifth place, but now sit just one game ahead of the seventh-place Saints (18-27, 6-10 MCC) in the loss column. The top six teams advance to the MCC Tournament.
Ashford scored first in the opener and never looked back, tagging Jorge Quezada (Jr., San Ysidro, Calif., Castle Park HS) with ten hits. The visitors put up one run in the second, two more in the third, and one final insurance run in the sixth. Quezada (5-4) struck out four and walked one in the loss.
The navy and gold were shut down by Ian Hamilton, notching only two hits against the southpaw.
The Saints remained hot into the day’s second contest, scoring five runs against starter Danny Erece (Jr., Chula Vista, Calif., Southwestern CC) in the first two frames.
Brad McGuire (Jr., Covina, Calif., Citrus CC) relieved Erece in the second and kept the home team within striking distance. McGuire (3-3) stopped Ashford in its tracks, permitting four hits in six shutout innings (five strikeouts, one walk).
The offense responded with a big second, but unfortunately little after that.
Aaron Laird (Sr., Oskaloosa, Oskaloosa HS) and Stanley Muller (Sr., Tucson, Ariz., Cochise CC) provided their team’s biggest hits.
Laird started the second-inning rally by slapping a double down the left field line to score Jayme Mueller (Jr., Mundelein, Ill., College of Lake County CC) and Evelio Ahumada (Sr., Hacienda Heights, Calif., Citrus CC). Muller then singled up the middle to plate both Laird and Tony Alvarez (Jr., Spring Valley, Calif., Southwestern CC).
The Statesmen picked up only more hit the remainder of the game, but did put a scare into the Saints in the seventh. Alvarez and pinch hitter Chris Redfern (Jr., Stratford, Ontario, College of Lake County CC) both drew two-out walks, but Nathan Wood (Jr., Tucson, Ariz., Arizona Western CC) flew out to left field to end the game.
William Penn was outhit 11-5.
Next: William Penn hosts Ashford again Sunday for a nine-inning game beginning at noon.
