Due to the Mount Mercy/Grand View doubleheader being cancelled today and only one of those games being rescheduled for Monday, Penn (32-14, 17-5 MCC) now holds a 1 1/2-game lead over Mount Mercy with the two teams having just three combined games left to play in the regular season.

That means the Statesmen have clinched at least a share of its first MCC crown since 2006 and its 12th league title in program history.

Penn can clinch the crown outright and earn the #1 seed in the MCC Tournament with a win over Ashford at home Tuesday. The squads face off in a single nine-inning game at 4 p.m.

Mount Mercy (15-6 MCC) can still share the title, however, if it wins both of its final two games and Penn loses against Ashford. With two wins over Penn this year, the Mustangs own the head-to-head tiebreaker and would then be the top seed in the MCC Tournament as well.

Penn fell behind early against the Crusaders (17-30, 8-15 MCC) as the visitors scored once in the top of the first inning.

The Statesmen answered with four runs of their own, highlighted by a three-run double by Sobczak

Sobczak then scored when Clarke errored a ball hit by Steven Schultze (Sr., Simi Valley, Calif., LA Mission CC).

Penn extended the lead to 5-1 in the third when Sobczak singled home Blake Willard (Jr., Tacoma, Wash., Green River CC).

The Crusaders cut the margin to 5-4 in the top of the fifth, but again the Statesmen responded, scoring twice in the bottom half of the frame to make it 7-4.

Jaime Ayala (Sr., Modesto, Calif., Modesto CC) first singled in Richie Hawley (Sr., Palmdale, Calif., Antelope Valley CC) and then Matt Casey (Sr., Palmdale, Calif., Antelope Valley CC) brought in Schultze on a fielder's choice.

Chris Wedel (Sr., Wasco, Calif., Taft CC) tossed five full innings before being relieved by Keith Rizor (Sr., Westminster, Calif., Orange Coast CC) two batters into the sixth inning.

Rizor threw three strong innings before running into trouble in the top of the ninth frame. The senior gave up a run to cut the lead to 7-5 and then loaded the bases, but was fortunate enough to get a game-ending groundout to preserve his second save of the year.

Although he was not on top of his game, Wedel claimed the win to improve to 9-2. The senior allowed four runs (three earned) on eight hits in five frames. He struck out six with two walks.

Rizor allowed one run (earned) on three hits in four innings of action. He struck out eight against two walks.

Sobczak led the offense by going 2-4 with four RBIs and one run scored. Hawley, Casey, and Garrett Jenner (Jr., Jamul, Calif., Grossmont CC) were all 2-4 in the win, while Willard tied for the game high by scoring twice.