Springfield, Mo. – The Evangel University Valor scored 10 runs in the sixth and five more in the seventh to pull out a 20-16 win and salvage a game in the three-game season series over the Friends University Falcons in KCAC action today (Mar. 18) in Springfield, Mo. Friends won by scores of 11-5 and 4-1 in the previous two games over Evangel at home on Mar. 11.
The Falcons trailed 3-0 early but proceeded to score 11 of the game's next 12 runs to lead 11-4 in the sixth.
The Valor bats then came alive, exploding for 10 runs behind a pair of two-run singles from Justus Cherrico and Jeremiah Leaming and then a two-run homer by Evan Baptiste.
Bernie Socarras hit a sacrifice fly in the seventh for the Falcons to make it 14-12, but Heath Perry singled home two runs for Evangel to ignite a four-run seventh.
The offensive back-and-forth continued when a two-run single from Spencer Davidson was answered by a two-run double by Cade Beshore in the bottom of the eighth for Evangel.
Socarras led off the ninth with his sixth home run of the season and Elijah Joseph doubled home Zeke Henson, but Isaac Daley shut the door from there to preserve the win for the Valor.
The Falcons got a solo homer from Carlos Rodriguez in the second and a two-run blast by Niquan Benjamin in the fourth before a three-run double by Nijai Armbrister made it 9-4 in the fifth. Sacrifice flies by Miles Hartman and Isaias Urriola then put Friends up by seven runs.
Armbrister had three hits, while the Falcons got two hits apiece from Benjamin, Socarras, Rodriguez and Davidson. Matthew Benton started and lasted four innings and allowed three earned runs for Friends and Cameron Chase, the KCAC Pitcher of the Week, followed with a scoreless fifth.
Kannon Perry went 4-of-6 for the Valor and Baptiste drove in four runs.
The Falcons will next host a three-game conference series vs. Avila University, starting with a single game Friday afternoon (Mar. 21) at 3 pm at Westside Athletic Field.
