Leavenworth, Kan. – The Friends University Falcons began a three-game series at the University of Saint Mary Spires with a dominating 9-1 victory today (Apr. 12) in Leavenworth, Kan.

The Falcons took an early lead on a sacrifice fly by Niquan Benjamin in the first before exploding for a six-run fourth inning.

Zeke Henson started things in the fourth frame with a double and came home with the second run of the game on a single by DJ Killion.

Following a double by Melwin Perez, Buster Hardman stepped up and singled home both Killion and Perez to make it 4-0.

Hardman then scored on a single by Benjamin and Tyler Godfrey capped the frame with a single that plated both pinch runner Nijai Armbrister and Benjamin.

The Falcons continued to pile on and made it an 8-0 cushion when Sam Engberg singled home Killion in the fifth inning.

After the Spires got on the board in the bottom half of the fifth, Falcon pitching shut the door from there and another RBI single by Hardman in the ninth finished off the scoring.

Daniel Jaime pitched in and out of trouble to limit the Spires to just the one run on 11 hits while striking out two and stranding nine runners on base in a winning performance.

Elijah Hansen then pitched a scoreless ninth frame for the Falcons, who move to fourth in the KCAC with a 17-13 conference record and a 26-16 overall mark.

Hardman had three hits and three RBIs in the leadoff spot for Friends and Perez also added three hits.  Henson doubled twice and Killion went 2-of-3 with three runs scored.

Caleb McClellan and Eli Prine each had three hits for the Spires (16-24, 10-17 KCAC).

The Falcons and Spires will conclude the series with a doubleheader tomorrow (Apr. 13) starting at 1 pm.