[Baseball] Baseball Falcons Split Twinbill vs. Ottawa
KANSAS CITY, Kan. – The Friends University Falcons and Ottawa University Braves split a twinbill today (Mar. 16) at Kansas City Kansas Community College in Kansas City, Kan. The Falcons routed the Braves 15-5 in the opener, but the Braves rebounded to pull out a 5-4 win in the second game.
The Falcons would score nine unanswered runs in the opening tilt to turn a one-run deficit into a commanding nine-run edge.
Down 2-1 in the fourth, Dauson Tate (JR/Pueblo, Colo.) singled to lead off the inning and came home with the tying run on a triple by Jace Snodgrass (SR/Derby, Kan.).
Ricardo Paris (JR/Barquisimeto, Valenzuela) then struck with a two-run double and scored when Gabriel Corona (JR/Fresno, Calif. ) traded places with him on an RBI double that gave the Falcons a three-run lead in the fifth.
The Falcons weren't through in the inning and picked up two more runs when Snodgrass singled home Tate and pinch runner John Coogan (FR/Broomfield, Colo.).
In the seventh, the Falcons continued the offensive onslaught, getting a two-run double from Martin Casillas (SO/Cathedral City, Calif.) and another two-base RBI hit by Troy Puga (JR/Pueblo, Colo.) to extend the lead up to nine runs.
Then in the ninth frame, Emilio Navarro (SR/Porterville, Calif. ) put a loud exclamation point on the victory with a grand slam that chased home Snodgrass, Puga and pinch runner Evan Skelton (JR/Larned, Kan.).
Alex Dafoe (SR/Lake Havasu City, Ariz.) turned in a solid start in the Falcons' opening game victory. Dafoe went seven innings and gave up just two earned runs, while striking out six and walking none.
The Falcons benefited from a balanced offensive attack in the first game victory, as Snodgrass, Puga and Corona each had three hits.
Tate also had a pair of hits and scored three times.
Sheldon Paramore and Elliot Antonetty each had two hits for the Braves.
With the nightcap tied 1-1, the teams exchanged three-run innings to keep the game in a gridlock.
In the bottom of the fifth, Jordan Henning hit a two-run inside-the-park home run to finish the Braves' three-run frame before Tate doubled in three runs for the Falcons (10-16, 5-7 KCAC) in the sixth to tie the game again at 4-4.
But in the bottom of the seventh, Sheldon Paramore hit a one-out sacrifice fly with the bases-loaded to give the Braves (10-9, 5-8 KCAC) the walkoff win.
Austin Eggleston (JR/Arlington, Texas) struck out nine through the first four innings and finished with a career-high 12 punch outs for the Falcons.
The Falcons and Braves will wrap up the series tomorrow (Mar. 17) at noon, again in Kansas City, Kan.