The Statesmen baseball team got back on the field Monday, going 1-2 against AIB in Midwest Collegiate Conference play.
The day began with William Penn (18-21, 8-11 MCC) defeating the Eagles 11-10 in a game postponed since Saturday. AIB (21-21, 16-8 MCC) then finished off the long night by sweeping a doubleheader (originally scheduled for Sunday) with scores of 4-0 and 3-1.
WPU 11, AIB 10
The navy and gold were behind 5-0 entering the bottom of the second, but turned the table on AIB with six runs in their at-bats. Cory DeRush highlighted the big frame with a two-run double.
The Eagles answered with one in the third, but Robert Phiakeo put the home team back up as his two-RBI single helped WPU to three runs to make it 9-6 in the bottom half.
The rain came and washed the spider–correction, the game–out. The contest resumed Monday afternoon with AIB striking first with one run in the top of the sixth. William Penn got it right back, though, as William Vazquez doubled in a run.
The Eagles would unfortunately not go quietly, tying the game at 10-10 in the top of the seventh. Fortunately, the Statesmen had the last laugh by loading the bases. Phiakeo then served as the hero with a game-winning single to plate DeRush.
DeRush paced the Statesmen by going 4-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored, while Phiakeo was 2-for-4 with three RBIs in a game that featured AIB outhitting WPU 12-10. Patrick Roxbury also managed two hits, while pinchrunner Chris Bartmann rounded the pads twice.
Connor Sutton walked four times and J.P. Rios, who scored three times, drew another three bases on balls; William Penn batters were walked 11 times total. The home team overcame four errors.
Jacob Logan tossed Saturday’s four innings, while Matt Vasquez finished the game off with the final three frames. Vasquez claimed the win and since he had only worked a trio of innings, the senior had enough left in his tank to start the second game of the day.
AIB 4, WPU 0
Vasquez pitched well in his five-inning outing, striking out six, but unfortunately was on the hook for the loss. He fell to 4-2 on the season.
The Statesmen had little success at the plate, putting runners in scoring position in the first and fifth only to leave them stranded both times. WPU lost the hitting battle 6-3 and committed four more fielding mistakes.
Logan relieved Vasquez and hurled a pair of innings.
AIB 3, WPU 1
The hosts continued to have issues in the field with five errors. William Penn scored first when Sho Serrano led off the second with a single and later came around on a wild pitch.
That was all she wrote for WPU, however, as the Eagles scored once in the third, fifth, and seventh innings. Sutton was perfect at the plate, finishing 2-for-2, but his team was outhit 6-4.
Starter Tyler Martinez gave up two runs (one earned) on five hits. The junior (1-3) struck out three, but walked four in five innings. Cole Williams managed four strikeouts in two frames out of the bullpen.
Next Up: William Penn travels to La Crosse, Wis. Wednesday to finish off a suspended game from April 7.
