WICHITA, Kan. – The Friends University Falcons pounded out 10 extra base hits and three home runs in routing the Sterling College Warriors by scores of 15-5 and then 8-0 to win the series 2-1 today (Mar. 30) at West Side Athletic Field.
The two victories put the Falcons at 24-12 overall and in the fourth spot in the KCAC with a 15-9 conference mark.
For the second straight day, the Falcons fell behind early when a two-run single by Austin Santiago keyed a four-run first inning for the Warriors.
After the Warriors added a run in the second to make it 5-0, the Falcons embarked on a 15 unanswered run explosion.
An RBI single by Caleb Coats in the second inning started the outburst and initiated a five-run frame to tie the score.
Buster Hardman then singled home two runs and Coats was chased home on a single by Carlos Rodriguez before a sacrifice fly by Tyler Godfrey scored Hardman for the tying run.
The Falcons were just getting started and proceeded to drop a seven spot in the third, capped by back-to-back RBI doubles from Rodriguez and Godfrey and a two-run homer from Zeke Henson. DJ Killion had singled in Niquan Benjamin for the go-ahead run to begin the big inning.
A two-run double by Spencer Davidson and an RBI groundout from Ricky Toussaint in the bottom of the fifth then gave the Falcons the margin needed for the run rule victory.
Rodriguez sparked the Falcons in the first game with four hits and Benjamin went 3-of-4. Five more Falcons tallied two hits each in the 19-hit attack as a team.
Francisco Moscoso lasted six innings and allowed one earned run with a pair of strikeouts and three walks to be credited with the win.
Gonzolo Armas then followed Moscoso and blanked the Warriors in the seventh with one strikeout.
Unlike the opening two games of the weekend series, it was the Falcons jumping on top first on Henson's team-leading 10th homer of the season in the second inning.
The Falcons weren't done in the second frame and added two more runs when Killion singled in Benjamin and scored on a double by Toussaint.
In the fifth inning, the Falcons broke things open when Rodriguez hit a sacrifice fly to plate the first of three runs. Godfrey then lifted his third homer of the season and Davidson followed with a single to score Henson to stretch the lead to six runs.
A pinch-hit, two-run double by Sam Engberg in the sixth put an exclamation point on the Falcon sweep.
The Falcons provided game two starter Brett Black with more than enough run support, as the freshman from Park City, Kan. shutout the Warriors (14-18, 8-13 KCAC) with seven strikeouts while not allowing a hit after the first inning.
Preston Lewis then pitched a scoreless seventh frame to finish the win for the Falcons.
Hardman was 3-of-4 and Henson had two more hits with two runs scored in the nightcap.
Friends was also stellar in the field, turning a pair of inning-ending double-plays to help keep the Warriors off the scoreboard.
The Falcons will next remain at home and host Ottawa University Tuesday (Apr. 2) at 3 pm.
