Statesmen Sweep Doubleheader to Conclude Spring Break Slate
Lincoln, Ill.–Having just returned from their trip to Nebraska, the William Penn baseball team was right back at it on Tuesday as they traveled to Illinois to face the Lincoln Lynx in their final tuneup before beginning conference play.
In a wild doubleheader that saw 52 runs scored in 13 innings of play, the Statesmen emerged victorious in both ends of the doubleheader, winning the first game by a score of 21-11 and winning the second 11-9 in six innings.
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The first game of the afternoon was scoreless after one, but that was the only full inning without a run for the rest of the day. Soren Graversen (Jr., Calgary, Alberta, Human Services) kicked off the scoring with an RBI double, and Alex Fisher (Jr., Sydney, Australia, Biology) drove him home to give the Statesmen a 2-0 lead in the second inning.
Tanner Bedier (So., Bondurant, Iowa, Sports Management) held the Lynx scoreless in the third, and then the bats exploded. After a flyout to lead off the third, three Statesmen batters would reach base and subsequently score, and after a fielder’s choice, the next three batters would score as well, highlighted by an RBI triple by Alex Perreira (Jr., San Leandro, Calif.).
The navy and gold pushed across two more in the fourth as Jameson Hart (Jr., Sarnia, Ontario, Sports Management) scored his second run of the ballgame and Dominic Bravo (Sr., Downey, Calif., Digital Communications) crossed the plate for the third time in three plate appearances.
Lincoln finally struck back for one in the bottom of the fourth, but the Statesmen continued to pour it on, as five walks in the inning would result in five more runs coming across the plate. However, the Lynx bats finally came to life in the bottom half of the fifth, scoring eight runs to bring themselves right back into the game.
Lincoln drove home two more to make it a five run game, but a six spot in the seventh sent the game to its final score of 21-11.
A bevy of Statesmen recorded multi-hit performances in the game: Hart, Bravo, Graversen, Perreira, and Rhett Zelinsky (Fr., Brookings, S.D). Fisher led the team with a 3-3 showing, while he and Graversen tied for the lead with four RBI apiece. Bravo crossed the plate a resounding five times in the game.
Bedier earned the victory in the game, working 4.1 innings allowing four runs on eight hits and two walks, striking out four. Jakob Crampton (So., Elkhorn, Neb., Business Management) worked 1.1 innings, while Tyler Gregory (Jr., Peoria, Ill., Exercise Science) and Ty Harter (Fr., Galesburg, Ill.) finished out the game.
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After Adrian Garcia worked a walk to lead off the game, Bravo drove a deep fly into the outfield to get the Statesmen off and running once again. William Penn would post another crooked number in the second inning; a five run inning highlighted by a two-run triple from the bat of Nick George (Fr., Sarnia, Ontario).
The Lynx would not go quietly into the evening, putting up four of their own in the bottom half of the second to make it a 6-4 game. Fisher got the offense roaring again to start the third with the most exciting play in baseball; an inside-the-park-home run. Snaider Torrealba (Sr., Barquisimeto, Venezuela, Business Management) put a charge into one two batters later, driving in Zelinsky with his first blast of the year to extend the lead to 9-4.
Zelinsky would get in on the fun in the fourth inning, crushing a ball well over the 400 foot sign in dead center field to give the Statesmen an 11-4 lead.
Lincoln attempted to mount a late comeback, but fell short in the end as the Statesmen headed back to Oskaloosa with an 11-9 victory and a doubleheader sweep.
The bottom half of the lineup did some heavy lifting in the second game, as the 6-9 spots in the lineup recorded eight of the team’s 11 hits for the contest. Fisher recorded another multi-hit game, Torrealba went 2-3 with the two-run blast, and Zelinsky led the team with three hits, three RBI, and three runs scored.
The pitching was split fairly evenly throughout the game. Michael Carr (Jr., Trabuco Canyon, Calif., Sports Management) started and pitched 1.2 innings, and Zach Edgar (Sr., Elgin, Ill., Business Management) relieved him for 2.1. Harter, having thrown the final inning of the previous game, came back in and slammed the door on the Lynx for the final two innings of the contest.
“It was good to get the wins, but we really didn’t play our best, especially on defense,” said Head Coach Mike Laird. “We were obviously tired from the eight road games in five days.”
“Three freshmen played well with Nick George catching both games, Ty Harter closing both games, and Rhett Zelinsky hitting two homers to dead center. Dom Bravo and Jarrett Hunt continued their strong hitting as well, with Snaider Torrealba and Alex Fisher homering as well.”
What’s Next: The Statesmen will take a well deserved rest as they gear up for the beginning of their conference slate. They will travel to Canton, Mo. on Saturday, March 13 to take on the Culver-Stockton Wildcats in Heart of America Athletic Conference action.
