Sterling, Kan. – It took extra innings in game one, but the Friends University Falcons came out on top 10-9 at the Sterling College Warriors and then completed the series sweep with a 6-0 shutout victory in the second game today (Mar. 29) in Sterling, Kan. The Falcons opened the series with a 24-19 win in an offensive slugfest yesterday.
The Falcons appeared to have the opening tilt in hand up 9-5, but the Warriors showed fight and got a two-run single from Andrew Dutro in a three-run eighth and then Luis Morales singled home the tying run in the bottom of the ninth to send the game to extras.
But Tyler Godfrey led off the Falcon 10th with a single and pinch runner Xavier Champ scored the eventual game-winning run on a groundout by Miles Hartman after being chased to third on a single from Spencer Davidson.
Vincent Vigil then came on and slammed the door in the bottom of the 10th with a 1-2-3 frame to pick up the save.
The Falcons trailed early 2-1 until a two-run double by Isaias Urriola and an RBI single by Godfrey in the third made it 4-2.
An RBI single by Carlos Rodriguez and a sacrifice fly from Urriola then helped the Falcons take a 7-2 lead in the fourth.
Hartman fueled the Falcon attack with a career-high tying four hits for what was his second straight four-hit game.
Bernie Socarras drew five walks and scored four runs, while Godfrey and Davidson had two hits apiece in the Falcons' first game victory.
The Warriors (8-25, 3-17 KCAC) got three hits from Morales and Dutro and Jackson Parmenter drove in three runs.
Matthew Benton followed starter Jaime Baldwin and went three innings with three earned runs allowed to get the win.
The nightcap saw Francisco Moscoso turn in another solid outing on the mound with a seven-inning shutout complete game with five strikeouts, three walks and just two hits allowed.
Zeke Henson provided Moscoso with plenty of offensive support with three hits and three RBIs, starting with a run-scoring single in the first inning that scored Niquan Benjamin.
Henson then followed an RBI single from Socarras with a two-run double in the third to give the Falcons a 4-0 lead.
Nijai Armbrister added to the lead with an RBI single in the fourth before an RBI groundout by Urriola in the fifth closed out the scoring for the Falcons.
The Falcons got solid production from all parts of the lineup in the second game, with Benjamin delivering two hits from the leadoff spot and Hartman producing a pair of hits from the ninth position.
Friends, now 20-14 overall and 14-9 in the KCAC, have won 14 of their last 16 games and will next play a single game at Ottawa University at 1 pm Tuesday (Apr. 1) before welcoming York University to Wichita for a three-game series starting Friday (Apr. 4) at Westside Athletic Field.
