WPU Sweeps Friday’s Double Dip with Clarke, Drops Both of Saturday’s Bouts
April 13th, 2026
Peosta–The Statesmen baseball team experienced each end of the spectrum as it split a four-game Heart of America Athletic Conference series with Clarke Friday and Saturday.
William Penn (17-18, 7-9 Heart) was victorious Friday by scores of 8-5 and 3-2, but came up short on Saturday by identical 6-3 outcomes.
WPU 8, CU 5
The Pride (16-18, 10-4 Heart) opened up the series’ scoring with a run in the bottom of the first inning. WPU answered right away in the top of the second with pinchrunner Logan Bialek (Jr., South Elgin, Ill., Exercise Science) coming around.
After Clarke reclaimed the lead in its next at-bats, the Statesmen, led by Aiden North (Jr., Oskaloosa, Iowa, Industrial Technology), went on top with a two-run double by the junior in the top of the third.
Abraham Arroyo (Grad., Camuy, P.R., Master’s of Sports Management) singled home McGwire Jephson (Jr., Rigby, Idaho, Business Management) to start the fifth-inning scoring. The graduate student then touched home plate himself off a double by North.
The hosts rallied to knot the contest at 5-5 in the bottom of the fifth, but Jephson put his crew on top for good with a two-run home run in the sixth.
Keoni Young (Sr., Las Vegas, Nev., Exercise Science) tacked on an insurance run with a solo roundtripper in the seventh.
The Statesmen rapped out 14 hits (nine for Clarke) with North going 4-for-4, while Arroyo added three base knocks. Jephson and Young managed a pair of hits as well. The trio of Jephson, Arroyo, and Young also all scored twice in the weekend opener.
Garrett Neiman (Jr., Arvada, Colo., Sports Management) went the distance, striking out eight against three walks in his complete-game win.
WPU 3, CU 2
WPU grabbed the early edge on a first-inning single by Young that plated Jephson and Shane Mailloux (So., Santee, Calif., Business Management).
Following a pair of Clarke scores in the middle of the battle, Young then delivered the eventual game-winner in the top of the sixth with a single through the left side that drove in Arroyo.
Young finished with two base knocks, while both lineups recorded seven hits overall.
Jack Nesje (Jr., Sioux Falls, S.D., Biology) worked the first five frames, permitting just two runs on six hits, while striking out three and walking one. Ethan Peters (Jr., Hortonville, Wis., Sports Management) then prevented a Pride comeback with two scoreless innings. Of the six outs the junior recorded, five of them came via strikeout.
“Garrett Neiman threw well in Friday’s opener and Aiden North carried us offensively,” Head Coach Mike Laird said. “The second game was nearly a disaster as we struggled to execute in short-game situations. Fortunately, Jack Nesje was able to contain Clarke before giving it over to Ethan Peters for the save.”
CU 6, WPU 3
Despite holding a 7-6 edge in hits and witnessing Clarke commit two errors, the Statesmen were unable to take Saturday’s opener.
Down 2-0 after three frames, WPU answered with two runs in the fourth and one in the fifth. A double by Albert Jaquez (Jr., Gurnee, Ill., Kinesiology) brought in Sawyer Hardman (Jr., American Fork, Utah, Kinesiology), while Jaquez also scored on a single by Mitchell. Jaquez guided the offense with a 2-for-3 effort.
In the fifth, Young pushed Jephson across on his one-bagger for a 3-2 Statesmen edge.
Unfortunately, the Pride closed out the game with two unanswered two-run homers to steal the win.
Arroyo (three walks) and Young (two walks) were patient in the batter’s box.
Erik Mejia Jr. (So., Las Vegas, Nev., Exercise Science) was saddled with the loss, although he tallied six strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings of mound work.
CU 6, WPU 3
The visitors claimed a 2-0 advantaged in the top of the first off North’s single that scored Arroyo and Mailloux.
The team’s exchanged one run each in their next at-bats with Mitchell doing the work himself on a solo homer in the top of the second.
CU unfortunately took over from there with five unanswered runs.
The Statesmen lost the hits battle 11-8 with North guiding the charge at 3-for-4 with two RBIs. Jephson tacked on two hits as well.
Connor Gaddis (Fr., Kansas City, Mo., Exercise Science) kept his crew in the game by tossing 2 1/3 innings of scoreless ball in relief. The freshman struck out three while allowing only three hits.
“Saturday’s losses were tough, especially the opener,” Laird said. “We were unable to move runners and capitalize on scoring situations.”
Next Up: William Penn returns to Oskaloosa Tuesday to host Park in a non-conference doubleheader at 1 p.m.
