WPU News
Sat, Apr 25, 2009 - [Baseball]
Joey Grant shut out Clarke on six hits in the opener
Oskaloosa--Joey Grant (Sr., Soquel, Calif., College of San Mateo) and Micah Spencer (Sr., Modesto, Calif., Indiana State) both tossed very strong outings to guide the Penn baseball team to a doubleheader sweep over Clarke in Midwest Collegiate Conference action Saturday.
The Statesmen (31-14, 16-5 MCC) won by scores of 2-0 and 2-1. With the sweep, Penn now holds a half-game lead in the MCC standings over Mount Mercy (15-5).
Penn, who was actually outhit 6-3 in the opener, scored the day's first runs in the fifth inning. Richie Hawley (Sr., Palmdale, Calif., Antelope Valley CC) opened the frame with a single and then Alex Chavez (Sr., Culver City, Calif., LA Harbor CC) attempted to move him into scoring position on a bunt.
The Statesmen achieved much for than just a sacrifice, however, as the Clarke third baseman fielded Chavez's bunt cleanly, but then his throw went over the head of the first baseman and Hawley scored unearned all the way from first base.
Nick Golich (Jr., Aurora, Ill., Waubonsee CC) then laid down a perfect sacrifice squeeze bunt to score Chavez from third base in the next at bat to put Penn up 2-0.
That was all Grant needed to secure the victory and even his 2009 record at 5-5. The senior picked up his second solo shutout of the year by giving up just six hits. He also struck out eight without walking a single batter.
Golich, Jenner, and Hawley each had one hit in the win.
Penn scored a little earlier in the nightcap as Chavez led off the third inning with a walk and was then moved to second on a sacrifice by Golich. The senior's speed and smart base-running helped the Statesmen get on the board first as he managed to score all the way from second on a hit-and-run groundout of Garrett Jenner (Jr., Jamul, Calif., Grossmont CC).
The home team extended the advantage to 2-0 in the fifth when Golich singled home Steven Schultze (Sr., Simi Valley, Calif., LA Mission CC), who led off the inning by being hit by a pitch.
Spencer cruised through the first 6 1/3 innings, facing just one batter more than the minimum. Unfortunately, the senior struggled to close the game as he allowed three straight singles to give Clarke (17-29, 8-14 MCC) life with its first run of the day to cut the advantage to 2-1.
Spencer fortunately settled down and got the final two outs on a strikeout and a groundout to move his record to 10-0. The senior, who picked up his eighth complete game of the year, allowed one run (earned) on four hits. He struck out six with no walks.
The Statesmen were again outhit, this time 4-3. Golich, Jenner, and Jaime Ayala (Sr., Modesto, Calif., Modesto CC) each had one hit in the win.
Next: Penn again hosts Clarke Sunday in a single nine-inning MCC game at 12 p.m., up one hour from the original time of 1 p.m.
The Statesmen (31-14, 16-5 MCC) won by scores of 2-0 and 2-1. With the sweep, Penn now holds a half-game lead in the MCC standings over Mount Mercy (15-5).
Penn, who was actually outhit 6-3 in the opener, scored the day's first runs in the fifth inning. Richie Hawley (Sr., Palmdale, Calif., Antelope Valley CC) opened the frame with a single and then Alex Chavez (Sr., Culver City, Calif., LA Harbor CC) attempted to move him into scoring position on a bunt.
The Statesmen achieved much for than just a sacrifice, however, as the Clarke third baseman fielded Chavez's bunt cleanly, but then his throw went over the head of the first baseman and Hawley scored unearned all the way from first base.
Nick Golich (Jr., Aurora, Ill., Waubonsee CC) then laid down a perfect sacrifice squeeze bunt to score Chavez from third base in the next at bat to put Penn up 2-0.
That was all Grant needed to secure the victory and even his 2009 record at 5-5. The senior picked up his second solo shutout of the year by giving up just six hits. He also struck out eight without walking a single batter.
Golich, Jenner, and Hawley each had one hit in the win.
Penn scored a little earlier in the nightcap as Chavez led off the third inning with a walk and was then moved to second on a sacrifice by Golich. The senior's speed and smart base-running helped the Statesmen get on the board first as he managed to score all the way from second on a hit-and-run groundout of Garrett Jenner (Jr., Jamul, Calif., Grossmont CC).
The home team extended the advantage to 2-0 in the fifth when Golich singled home Steven Schultze (Sr., Simi Valley, Calif., LA Mission CC), who led off the inning by being hit by a pitch.
Spencer cruised through the first 6 1/3 innings, facing just one batter more than the minimum. Unfortunately, the senior struggled to close the game as he allowed three straight singles to give Clarke (17-29, 8-14 MCC) life with its first run of the day to cut the advantage to 2-1.
Spencer fortunately settled down and got the final two outs on a strikeout and a groundout to move his record to 10-0. The senior, who picked up his eighth complete game of the year, allowed one run (earned) on four hits. He struck out six with no walks.
The Statesmen were again outhit, this time 4-3. Golich, Jenner, and Jaime Ayala (Sr., Modesto, Calif., Modesto CC) each had one hit in the win.
Next: Penn again hosts Clarke Sunday in a single nine-inning MCC game at 12 p.m., up one hour from the original time of 1 p.m.
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