WICHITA, Kan. – The Friends University Falcons won two games in two different ways today (Apr. 6) over the York University Panthers at Westside Athletic Field to capture the overall series 2-1. The Falcons now occupy the fifth spot in the KCAC with a 16-11 conference record along with a 22-16 overall mark.
In the first game, the Falcons overcame a 4-3 deficit in the ninth when Melwin Perez drew a bases loaded walk for the walk-off victory. Earlier in the inning, Bernie Socarras singled in Miles Hartman for one of his four hits to tie the score.
York took an early lead on a two-run double by Ian Heck in the first inning and maintained that edge until a solo homer by Carlos Rodriguez put the Falcons on the board in the fifth inning.
Socarras then hit an RBI single to finish a two-run seventh and put the Falcons on top.
The Panthers answered with solo homers from Trevor Peterson and Ryan Romero to regain the lead in the ninth ahead of the Falcons' heroics in the bottom of the inning.
Jaime Baldwin struck out a career-high eight batters with two runs allowed over 7.2 innings. Keagan Alejo then pitched a scoreless ninth to be credited with the win.
Socarras was 4-5 at the plate and Rodriguez had two hits in four at-bats.
The Falcons didn't have to sweat out the nightcap, as a two-run homer by Zeke Henson in both the first and second innings helped blow the game open early.
Henson's first inning homer came in between an RBI double by Socarras and a run-scoring single from Spencer Davidson in a four-run first frame. He then made it 6-0 with another two-run blast in the second inning.
The floodgates continued to open as an RBI single by Tyler Godfrey was followed by a two-run double from Nijai Armbrister in the fourth to push the lead to 10 runs.
RBI singles from Isaias Urriola in the fifth and Socarras in the sixth then added an exclamation point to the Falcons' offensive outburst.
Henson was 3-of-3 with a double to add to his pair of two-run homers in the second game win. Niquan Benjamin got on base four times and scored four runs, while Socarras and Urriola also had two hits.
Francisco Moscoso was brilliant again on the mound, blanking the Panthers (15-18, 12-12 KCAC) through six innings with a personal season-high 10 strikeouts and no walks.
Vincent Vigil then came on in the seventh and shut the door with one strikeout.
The Falcons will next look to clinch a series win over No. 19-ranked Ottawa University at home Tuesday afternoon (Apr. 8) at 3 pm. Friends bested Ottawa 11-4 last Tuesday (Apr. 1) on the road.
