Statesmen Split Final Half Dozen as Spring Break Concludes
William Penn University Athletics
Winter Haven, Fla.–The William Penn baseball team fought through injuries as it finished the last three days of its Spring Break week with a 3-3 record.
The Statesmen (6-8) opened the second half of the week with a 9-4 win over Aquinas (Mich.) Thursday, but then later that day the team fell 5-4 in eight innings to Purdue-North Central (Ind.).
On Friday, WPU split with P-NC with a 1-0 loss and a 17-2 victory. The week ended with another doubleheader split, this time against Saint Francis (Ind.), falling 7-2 and winning 2-0.
WPU 9, Aquinas 4
William Penn scored the game’s first seven runs, highlighted by RBI singles from four different players. An RBI double also came from Charlie Cole (Fr., Tampa, Fla., Undecided), while Cory DeRush (Sr., Grand Junction, Colo., Business Management) highlighted the tremendous start with a two-run two-bagger in the third.
Both sides had two scores in the fourth with Cole adding another RBI. The Saints matched the Statesmen with nine hits with Cole, Kenny Hall (Sr., Morgan Hill., Calif., Exercise Science), and Sho Serrano (Sr., Lancaster, Calif., Physical Education) all tallying two hits.
DeRush had three RBIs, while Cole and Hall drove in two each. Connor Sutton (Jr., Gilroy, Calif., Sociology) came around twice.
Cole Williams (Sr., Napa, Calif., Physical Education) collected the win in a six-inning performance, allowing just three runs (one earned) on seven hits. The senior had six strikeouts against just one walk. Marshall Siordia (Jr., Lancaster, Calif., Sociology & Psychology) also appeared in the seventh frame.
Purdue-North Central 5, WPU 4 (8 innings)
William Penn also scored first against the Panthers with three runs in the first. J.P. Rios (Jr., San Diego, Calif., Business Management) had the big hit with a two-run single, while Hall had a run-scoring double.
P-NC bounced back with four unanswered (one in the third, three in the sixth), but the Statesmen answered to force extras with one in the seventh (Cole RBI single). Unfortunately, the Panthers rallied once more with the game-winner in the bottom of the eighth.
WPU could not overcome being outhit 8-6 and committing four errors. Josh Ruiz (Sr., Chula Vista, Calif., General Mathematics) started the contest, striking out nine (no walks) in a seven-hit, seven-inning outing. Only one of his four runs was earned. Logan Overly (Jr., Oakley, Calif., Secondary Education) took the loss as Purdue-North Central’s score was unearned.
Purdue-North Central 1, WPU 0
Despite owning a 7-5 edge in hits, William Penn permitted the lone run in the bottom of the first. The navy and gold had a baserunner in six frames (seven in scoring position), but were unable to bring anyone all the way around.
Matt Emerson (Sr., Saugus, Calif., Business Management) was 3-for-4, while Patrick Roxbury (Sr., Canyon, Calif., Sociology) finished 2-for-3.
A terrific five-hit outing by Jacob Logan (Sr., Galesburg, Ill., Psychology) was for naught. The senior did not permit an earned run, while striking out six (one walk).
WPU 17, Purdue-North Central 2
After being shut out in the opener, the Statesmen blew up in the nightcap. William Penn, which outhit P-NC 18-5, got all of its runs in just four innings, putting up three in the first and sixth, five in the fourth, and six in the third.
Roxbury was a perfect 4-for-4 (2 RBIs), while Rios was 3-for-5 (2 RBIs, 2 R). DeRush (4 RBIs, 3 R), Steven Sattz (Jr., Pickering, Ontario, Physical Education) (3 RBIs, 2 R), Hall (3 RBIs, 2 R), and Cole (2 R) all had two hits in the victory. Sutton, Joseph Terazon (Jr., Miami Springs, Fla., Sociology), and pinchrunner Chris Bartmann (Sr., Washington, Iowa, Secondary Education) also scored on two occasions.
The win was unfortunately not without a major setback, though. Sattz suffered a season-ending injury as he was struck in the face with a pitch in the fourth inning.
Tyler Martinez (Jr., San Diego, Calif., Sociology) tossed six strong innings, giving up two runs (both earned) on five hits (four Ks and one BB). Siordia struck out one batter in a perfect seventh inning.
Saint Francis 7, WPU 2
The Cougars went up 4-0 after four frames before WPU finally broke through with a Sutton RBI single in the fifth. USF put three more on the board in the bottom half to put the game out of reach.
The Statesmen tied Saint Francis with seven hits as DeRush led the way with a 3-for-4 performance. Kyle Maldonado (Sr., Centerville, Iowa, Physical Education) struck out six in a five-frame start and Jacob Davidson (So., Bloomfield, Iowa, Psychology & Sociology) had one strikeout in one inning out of the bullpen.
WPU 2, Saint Francis 0
William Penn was outhit 6-4, but scored the only two runs of the game with one in the second and the final in the fourth. Matt Vasquez (Sr., Lancaster, Calif., Business Management) served as the hero, striking out six (one walk) in a six-hit shutout.
Next Up: William Penn travels to Hannibal, Mo. Tuesday to face Hannibal-LaGrange in a non-conference doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m.
