William Penn Athletics News–April 21
William Penn University Athletics
Lathram, Vazquez Sweep MCC Accolades
Oskaloosa–Two near-perfect outings helped the William Penn baseball team to a sweep of the Midwest Collegiate Conference Player of the Week honors Monday.
William Vazquez (Fr., North Hollywood, Calif., General Accounting) was named Player of the Week, while Corey Lathram (Sr., Brentwood, Calif., Physical Education) collected Pitcher of the Week laurels. The honors are the first for both players as they assisted the Statesmen (21-13, 8-8 MCC) to a split against Clarke last Thursday.
Vazquez finished 6-for-7 in the doubleheader with one double, three runs scored, and one RBI, while Lathram dominated the opener by tossing a no-hitter. The senior only permitted two baserunners (one walk, one hit-by-pitch) in the complete-game shutout. He struck out seven Crusaders for the win. Lathram’s no-hitter is his first at WPU and is the program’s first since March 9, 2012.
Vazquez is back on track lately, now hitting a team-best .362 (38-for-105) with four doubles, 17 RBIs (team high), and ten runs scored. His .400 slugging percentage is also the best, while he also has a .417 on-base clip.
A closer converted into a starter the last couple weeks, Lathram is currently 3-3 with a 3.12 Earned Run Average and two saves in 34 2/3 innings. The senior, who has been a part of three shutouts, has 30 strikeouts against ten walks and opponents are hitting just .218 against him.
William Penn has now claimed seven weekly awards.
Seven-Run Seventh Secures Split with Mustangs
Cedar Rapids–One of the best single innings of the year helped the William Penn baseball team get a road win against Mount Mercy in a Midwest Collegiate Conference doubleheader Monday.
The Statesmen (22-14, 9-9 MCC) won the opener 13-6, but fell 6-3 in the nightcap. The teams will again face off Tuesday as William Penn hosts Mount Mercy in Oskaloosa. The doubleheader will begin at 5 p.m.
WPU pounded out 19 hits in the first game, including 12 in the first six frames, but was ahead just 6-5 entering the final inning of regulation.
The offense officially went off in the seventh as a total of 12 players stepped into the box, tallying seven runs on seven hits. William Vazquez (Fr., North Hollywood, Calif., General Accounting) led off the frame with a double, while Stan Simmons (Sr., Brooklyn, N.Y., Physical Education) and Cory DeRush (Jr., Grand Junction, Colo., Business Management) added two-baggers as well. Sho Serrano (Jr., Lancaster, Calif., Physical Education) also drove in two runs on a single.
After the first two and a half innings were scoreless, the Mustangs (11-24, 7-11 MCC) broke up the tie with two runs in the bottom of the fourth. Ryan Keeton (Jr., McCordsville, Ind., Biology) got the navy and gold on the board immediately thereafter by clearing loaded bases with a three-run double in the top of the fifth.
MMU answered with three runs of their own in the bottom half, but a two-run single by Serrano in the sixth put the visitors back ahead for good at 6-5. Serrano paced WPU by going 3-for-5 with four RBIs and two runs scored. DeRush (3-for-3, 2 R) and Kyle Mauricio (Sr., Ardene Hills, Minn., Physical Education) (3-for-4, 2 R) also had a trio of base knocks.
Keeton finished 2-for-5 with four RBIs, while Enrique Alvarado (Sr., Lancaster, Calif., Sociology) finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Vazquez had two hits in four at-bats, while Simmons rounded the bases twice as did pinchrunner Caleb Cline (Sr., Pleasant Hill, Iowa, Physical Education). All nine Statesmen starters managed at least one hit.
The squad’s 19 hits were the most since collecting 20 on March 9, 2012 against Illinois Tech.
Just four days removed from tossing a no-hitter, Corey Lathram (Sr., Brentwood, Calif., Physical Education) was back on the hump Monday. Possibly a bit fatigued, Lathram was knocked around by MMU, giving up six runs (four earned) on 11 hits in 6 2/3 innings. The senior (4-3) struck out four without a walk. Jason Johnson (Sr., Geneseo, Ill., Industrial Technology) wrapped up the contest with 1/3 inning of relief work.
The visiting team reached double figures in hits in the nightcap as well (11), but struggled in bringing those baserunners around in leaving 13 on the pads.
Keeton put WPU ahead in the third, scoring on a Simmons’ sacrifice flyout. Unfortunately, Mount Mercy responded with five runs and never trailed again.
Matt Emerson (Jr., Saugus, Calif., Business Management) also drove in Alvarado with a fourth-inning single, while Simmons touched home plate in the seventh on another one-bagger by DeRush. The hosts scored their sixth and final run in the fifth frame.
Simmons was a perfect 3-for-3, while DeRush was 1-for-2 with two walks. Mauricio posted a 2-for-4 showing and Alvarado got on base twice with one hit and one walk. Five different players left multiple players on base in the loss.
Kyle Kutzler (Fr., Kenosha, Wis., Industrial Technology) was saddled with the loss, falling to 2-4. The freshman went 2 2/3 innings, permitting five runs (all earned) on four hits with three strikeouts (no walks). Brian Williams (Sr., Los Angeles, Calif., Physical Education) threw two innings, giving up one run (earned) without a walk. He struggled with control, walking four against one walk. Juvenal Terrazas (Jr., Sylmar, Calif., Physical Education) had the best outing of the three, shutting out the Mustangs over 1 1/3 innings (one hit) with one strikeout.
