Three more Midwest Collegiate Conference victories on Monday locked up a berth in the postseason for the William Penn baseball team.

The Statesmen (22-22, 12-12 MCC) swept St. Ambrose in the tripleheader by scores of 4-1, 3-0, and 8-4. WPU will enter the five-team MCC Tournament as the #4 seed (SAU will be #5).

WPU 4, St. Ambrose 1

For the second Monday in a row, the navy and gold played three games; this time around the team enjoyed much more success.

Each side had seven hits in the first game with WPU scoring once in the first, fourth, sixth, and seventh innings. Kenny Hall paced his crew with a 3-for-3 outing, while Cory DeRush was 2-for-4. Both individuals scored twice in the opener.

Matt Vasquez was strong in the start, permitting only one run (earned) on seven scattered hits through 6 1/3 innings. The senior (5-2) had four strikeouts with just one walk.

Logan Overly closed it out for his fifth save of the year.

WPU 3, St. Ambrose 0

An even better pitcher’s duel occurred in the second contest with Jacob Logan tossing a complete-game four-hit shutout to move to 2-1. He managed four K’s with one walk and allowed just two baserunners to reach scoring position.

Robert Phiakeo provided all the offense Logan would need, singling home Patrick Roxbury in the first. Matt Emerson added an RBI double in the second, while one final insurance run was plated in the seventh.

WPU outhit the Fighting Bees 5-4.

WPU 8, St. Ambrose 4

With the postseason seedings locked up for both teams after game two, the finale was basically just for fun and the Statesmen had a lot of fun with 15 hits (six for SAU).

Hall (single) and Sho Serrano (double) both had RBI base knocks in the opening frame. Roxbury plated two on a second-inning single, while Connor Sutton helped the visitors to one of their two runs in the fourth with a single.

Phiakeo concluded William Penn’s scoring in the seventh with a two-RBI single. Serrano finished 3-for-4, while DeRush, Roxbury, Sutton, Hall, and Phiakeo all added two hits. Roxbury and Phiakeo produced two RBIs, while DeRush scored on three occasions. Pinchrunner Chris Bartmann touched home plate twice as well.

Tyler Martinez collected the victory, going five innings and allowing three earned runs on four hits. The junior (2-3) struck out five and walked one.

Juvenal Terrazas also worked a scoreless seventh inning (one walk).

The Oskaloosa Girls Soccer team picked up another road win 5-0 at Des Moines North Monday night.

The girls showcased great teamwork as five different girls scored the goals including Aleda Renter, Jackie Reif, Claire Fiechtner, Keely Blanchard and Taylor Seaton. Kadee Anderson, Ashley Brockman and Fiechtner were each credited with an assist. Maycie Stanbro got her first varsity start at goal and recorded the shutout.

Osky improved to 5-2 on the season and has two tough home games remaining this week. They host 6th ranked Dallas Center Grimes Tuesday then North Polk on Friday night with JV starting at 5:30pm with Varsity to follow.

Story By Jamie Brockman

Highlighted by a three-run, game-tying home run by Gabrielle Braniff, the Statesmen softball team split a Midwest Collegiate Conference doubleheader against Grand View Sunday on Senior Day.

William Penn (21-28, 14-10 MCC) won the opener 9-8 (9 innings), but fell in game two 10-0 (6 innings). The team can now finish no lower than third in the standings, but a win by St. Ambrose over Clarke would help it move up to the #2 seed for the MCC Tournament.

The Statesmen will host a first-round MCC Tournament game on Thursday, but their opponent has yet to be determined.

The opener had a rough start with the home team falling behind 6-0 entering the bottom of the third. Fortunately, the Statesmen never gave up hope and began to make its move with one run in the bottom half. Ashlee Dennis doubled to put the home team on the board.

A solo home run by Bri Zerley–her team-leading seventh–made it 6-2 after five frames and Dennis drove in another with a bases-loaded walk in the sixth.

The Vikings (28-11, 18-4 MCC) got one tally back in the top of the seventh, but William Penn roared all the way back with a four-run bottom half, topped by Braniff’s three-run shot. Braniff, who finished with three RBIs, now has three roundtrippers this spring.

Zerley doubled run a run to match GVU’s eighth-inning score, and then a pair of errors helped the Statesmen complete the come-from-behind victory in the ninth.

Sydney Edwards was 2-for-4, while Zerley finished 2-for-5. Eight of the home team’s starters had a hit as WPU was edged 14-10 in that department. Four Viking errors assisted the Statesmen in the first game as well.

Zerley and Dennis had two RBIs each, while Marissa Pereyra and Chyanne Koko both touched home plate twice.

Brittanee Grove tossed all nine innings, striking out five batters (three walks) to improve to 11-7.

WPU’s eight seniors were recognized between games. The celebration ended there, however, as the nightcap belonged to Grand View. The visitors outhit the navy and gold 16-2 to return the favor to William Penn.

Lunden Young struck out five in 4 1/3 innings, but is now 8-12 on the year.

The William Penn baseball team inched closer to qualifying for the postseason with a 4-3 win over St. Ambrose in Midwest Collegiate Conference action Sunday.

Mother Nature was the first to take a toll on the weekend series as rain pushed the start of the four-game set back one day. Then the minor league Quad City River Bandits, who own the field SAU plays on, went to extra innings, forcing the teams to limit themselves to just one contest on Sunday. They will now face off three times Monday beginning at 3 p.m.

With Sunday’s victory, William Penn (19-22, 9-12 MCC) moves one full game ahead of Mount Mercy for the final spot in next week’s MCC Tournament. Just one win Monday or a loss by Mount Mercy to Clarke would lock up a spot in the tourney. Two wins against the Fighting Bees (22-19, 10-11 MCC) would secure the #4 seed for the Statesmen.

In a contest that featured the visitors holding a 14-8 edge in hits, Kenny Hall came home on a suicide squeeze sacrifice bunt by William Vazquez. St. Ambrose knotted the contest with a run in the bottom of the third.

Cory DeRush then led off the fifth with a single and later scored. The hosts answered again with one run in the bottom half.

Another one-bagger by Hall started the sixth and pinchrunner Ryan Marshall made it 3-2 with his score. Unfortunately, St. Ambrose replied right away to draw it even at 3-3 entering the final frame.

Patrick Roxbury posted a one-out single in the seventh and eventually came around on a pinch-hit single by Steven Sattz for the go-ahead run.

Josh Ruiz loaded the bases in the bottom part, but his fifth and final strikeout ended the contest. Ruiz, now 6-1, permitted three earned runs on eight hits; he also walked four. The senior worked out of another bases-loaded jam in the third as well.

Roxbury and J.P. Rios were both a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate, while Hall and Connor Sutton finished 2-for-3. Sutton also walked once. DeRush had a 2-for-4 showing as well.

At the Drake Relays on Saturday, Oskaloosa’s Skylar DeJong ran in the 1600 meter run, improving his personal best time to 4:29.41, earning him 14th place in this elite race. Skylar came in with the 20th fastest time, so he raced well and a new personal record was his reward. Oskaloosa’s boys’ track and field team will be back in action on Tuesday at Davis County.