Penn (28-13, 13-4 MCC) was allowed to play at home but as the visiting team due to unplayable field conditions at Iowa Wesleyan's field in Mount Pleasant.

With the win, the Statesmen kept pace with Mount Mercy, who swept Ashford in a doubleheader Tuesday.

Penn struck early against the Tigers as Blake Willard (Jr., Tacoma, Wash., Green River CC) singled home Alex Chavez (Sr., Culver City, Calif., LA Harbor CC) from second base in the first inning.

The ‘visitors' scored three more runs in the second, beginning with Steven Schultze (Sr., Simi Valley, Calif., LA Mission CC) coming home on an error off a ball hit by Richie Hawley (Sr., Palmdale, Calif., Antelope Valley CC).

Chavez then put down a sacrifice bunt to bring home Matt Casey (Sr., Palmdale, Calif., Antelope Valley CC). Nick Golich (Jr., Aurora, Ill., Waubonsee CC) concluded the frame by singling home Hawley to extend the advantage to 4-0.

After a scoreless fourth inning, the Statesmen finished off their scoring on a Golich double that scored Hawley and a Willard single that plated Golich.

Micah Spencer (Sr., Modesto, Calif., Indiana State) was nearly perfect through that juncture, not allowing a single hit against the Tigers (25-19, 10-8).

Unfortunately, the ‘home' team came alive in the fourth with two runs. They remained hot at the plate with another run in the fifth before Spencer settled in once again to record 11 straight outs, stretching from the fifth inning to the ninth frame.

With only two outs remaining to work with, Iowa Wesleyan refused to go away as it scored once to narrow the deficit to 6-3. With one on and one out, however, Eddie Sobczak (Jr., University Place, Wash., Skagit Valley CC), who had a rough night at the plate, came up big defensively by snagging a line drive and then tagging the runner trying to retreat back to first to complete the game-ending double play.

Penn narrowly won the hitting battle 9-8 in a night when both teams had issues defensively (Penn had four errors; Iowa Wesleyan committed five errors). Both teams had numerous other chances to score as the Statesmen left ten on base and the Tigers left seven.

Golich was 3-5, while Willard went 2-5.

Spencer did just enough to claim the victory and remain perfect at 9-0. The senior allowed four runs (two earned) on eight hits in his seventh complete game of 2009. He struck out nine with two walks.

Next: Penn travels to Cedar Rapids Wednesday to face Mount Mercy in a Midwest Collegiate Conference doubleheader beginning at 5 p.m.