Penn (15-7) claimed a pair of wins against #25 nationally-ranked Park (Mo.) on Saturday, winning 7-3 and 6-4. The visitors made it three in a row with a 5-2 win in Sunday's opener before dropping the final game of the four-game set by a score of 5-1.

Saturday--Game 1 (Won 7-3)

Penn jumped out to a 3-0 lead after just two frames in Saturday's opener, courtesy of a two-run home run by Garrett Jenner (Jr., Jamul, Calif., Grossmont CC) in the first frame and an RBI single by Alex Chavez (Sr., Culver City, Calif., LA Harbor CC) in the second inning.

The Statesmen put the game out of reach with four more runs in the fourth, highlighted by a two-run homer by Eddie Sobczak (Jr., University Place, Wash., Skagit Valley CC), his second roundtripper of the season.

Park rallied with one run in the fourth and two more in the sixth, but Micah Spencer (Sr., Modesto, Calif., Indiana State) was too strong on the hill to improve to 4-0 on the campaign. The senior threw a complete game three-hitter, allowing three runs (all earned). He struck out six batters against four walks.

Chavez led the offensive attack as the Statesmen owned an 11-3 edge in hits. The senior was 3-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Sobczak, Richie Hawley (Sr., Palmdale, Calif., Antelope Valley CC), and Ramon Cabral (Sr., Antioch, Calif., Laney CC) all had two hits each, while Sobczak and Jenner paced Penn with two RBIs apiece.

Saturday--Game 2 (Won 6-4)

Jenner homered in the first inning of Saturday's nightcap as well as Penn darted out to another big lead. The home run, a solo shot, was the junior's team-leading third of 2009.

David Ruiz (Jr., Flagstaff, Ariz., Grossmont CC) singled home two runs in a three-run fourth inning, while the Statesmen added one more run in both the fifth and seventh innings, including an RBI single by Cabral in the seventh.

Penn's advantage was surprisingly almost not big enough, however, as Park battled back in the bottom of the seventh with four runs, including a pinch-hit grand slam by Bry Coggins.

Following the home run, Tim Waters (Sr., Marysville, Wash., Everett CC) replaced starter Joey Grant (Sr., Soquel, Calif., College of San Mateo) and recorded the final two outs to notch his first save of the season. Waters allowed one hit with one strikeout and one walk in 2/3 of an inning.

Grant was spectacular through six frames, but struggled to close the contest. The senior, who moved his season mark to 2-1, allowed just four runs (all earned) on six hits in 6 1/3 innings of work. Grant struck out three with three walks.

Cabral and Jenner topped Penn with two hits each in the victory, while Ruiz's two RBIs was a team best. Jenner scored a squad-best two runs as well.

Sunday--Game 1 (Won 5-2)

Park took its first lead of the weekend set with one run in the first inning of Sunday's opener, but Penn responded quickly with three runs in the top of the second frame and never looked back.

Hawley, Sobczak, and Grant Grimmett (Jr., Rock Island, Ill., Carl Sandburg CC) all had RBI base knocks in the second, while Chavez had an RBI single in the fourth and Steven Schultze (Sr., Simi Valley, Calif., LA Mission CC) recorded an RBI single in the fifth as well.

Penn more than doubled the Pirates offensively with a 12-5 edge in hits as Jaime Ayala (Sr., Modesto, Calif., Modesto CC) was 3-4, while Chavez and Grimmett were both 2-4. Nick Golich (Jr., Aurora, Ill., Waubonsee CC) finished 2-3 at the plate. Five different players all crossed home plate once each in the win.

Chris Wedel (Sr., Wasco, Calif., Taft CC) was dominant in a complete game performance to move his record to 3-1 on the season. The senior allowed two runs (both earned) on five hits, while striking out four against three walks.

Sunday--Game 2 (Lost 5-1)

Penn came up a little short of the weekend sweep as the offensive well went dry with just three hits.

The Statesmen claimed an early 1-0 lead when Hawley singled home Golich in the third inning. Unfortunately, Park answered immediately with one run of its own in the bottom half of the frame and then blew the game open with four runs in the fifth and Penn was held scoreless in the final two innings.

Cabral and Curtis Graham (So., Albia, Simpson) joined Hawley with one hit as well.

After four solid innings of work, Keith Rizor (Sr., Westminster, Calif., Orange Coast CC) was finally figured out by Park in the fifth and finished the day with five runs allowed (four earned) on 11 hits. Over five innings, the senior struck out four without a single base on balls. Rizor is now 3-2 on the year.

Waters worked the entire sixth inning in a relief role and struck out two with one hit allowed.

Next: Penn opens Midwest Collegiate Conference action next weekend by hosting Viterbo Saturday and Sunday. The two teams will face off in a doubleheader Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. and then will play a single nine-inning game Sunday at noon.