Statesmen Open Heart Play with Sweep of Evangel
William Penn University Athletics
Springfield, Mo.–Despite facing its longest league road trip of the year, William Penn baseball team started Heart of America Athletic Conference play well with a doubleheader sweep of Evangel Wednesday.
The Statesmen (11-4, 2-0 Heart) won by scores of 9-4 and 7-3 to extend their winning streak to nine games. It is the program’s longest winning streak since claiming 12 straight in 2008.
The Statesmen jumped out on top of the Crusaders (8-15, 0-2 Heart) in the opener with six runs in the first inning. Dominik Sawyer (Jr., Chula Vista, Calif., Psychology and Human Services) provided the big pop with a grand slam, his first home run of the season. Anthony York (Jr., Chula Vista, Calif., Physical Education) brought in another run on a double, while William Vazquez (Jr., North Hollywood, Calif., General Accounting) also had a run-scoring single.
William Penn was then held scoreless over the next five innings, while Evangel rallied to make the score 6-4. Fortunately, the navy and gold put the game out of reach with three tallies in the seventh, highlighted by a two-run single from Robert Phiakeo (Sr., San Diego, Calif., Business Management).
Both sides finished with nine hits and one error. Phiakeo went 2-for-3 with three RBIs, while Sawyer tacked on another RBI to finish with five. York and J.P. Rios (Sr., San Diego, Calif., Business Management) each managed two hits as well. Vazquez and Johnny Valdez (Jr., San Jacinto, Calif., Business Management) rounded the pads twice.
Dylan McDonald (Jr., Chula Vista, Calif., Industrial Technology), who moved to 3-1 on the year, struck out five batters and walked another five in a complete game, his first of 2016.
The second matchup–a nine-inning contest–witnessed WPU with an 11-4 edge in hits. The Statesmen got things going by putting two on the board in the second courtesy of a Rios double.
Rios added another two-bagger in the fourth to extend the lead to 3-0 and then the senior had an RBI sacrifice fly as part of a two-run sixth. Rios, who was 2-for-2, finished with sixth RBIs.
The Crusaders trimmed the margin to 5-3 in the bottom of the sixth, but one run in both the seventh and ninth finished off the sweep.
Sawyer was again big at the plate, going 4-for-4, while Phiakeo was 3-for-5 with three runs scored. Marcus Littleton (Jr., Norwalk, Iowa, Communications) scored three runs as a pinchrunner as well.
Starting pitcher Frankie Nunez (Jr., Lemon Grove, Calif., Sociology) worked 5 1/3 innings, striking out seven batters against three walks. He remains perfect on the year at 3-0. Marshall Siordia (Sr., Lancaster, Calif., Sociology and Psychology) was one of three relievers to enter the game and tallied two Ks in 2 1/3 frames.
Next Up: William Penn returns to Oskaloosa Saturday for its home opener, hosting Benedictine (Kan.) in a Heart doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.
