[Baseball] Sterling Takes Two From Baseball Falcons

WICHITA, Kan. – The Sterling College Warriors won the first two games of the series over the Friends University Falcons by scores of 15-8 and 5-3 today (Mar. 22) at Westurban Baseball Complex in Wichita.

Leading 8-5 after five innings of the opening tilt, the Warriors scored a run in the sixth and then created big separation when Markus Montelongo hit his second homer of the game, a two-run shot that powered a five-run frame.

The Falcons clawed back with a run in the seventh and then got even closer on a two-run home run by Gabriel Corona (JR/Fresno, Calif. ) in the eighth.

Sterling then got an insurance run with a solo homer from Ben Giland in the ninth.

Friends had also tried to rally from an 8-3 deficit earlier, as a two-run double by Ricardo Paris (JR/Barquisimeto, Valenzuela) in the fifth brought the Falcons within three runs.

Jace Snodgrass (SR/Derby, Kan.) and Emilio Escamilla each had three hits in the first game for the Falcons, while Paris drove in three runs. Emilio Navarro (SR/Porterville, Calif. ) also had a pair of hits with an RBI for Friends.

The Warriors' offensive attack was sparked at the top of the order, with Giland contributing four hits and five runs from the leadoff spot and Montelongo going 4-of-5 with two homers and five RBIs in the second spot in the lineup.

Alex Dafoe (SR/Lake Havasu City, Ariz.) started the first game for the Falcons and went five innings, allowing eight runs but fanning nine batters.

The nightcap saw the Falcons mount a rally in the seventh down three runs when Snodgrass singled home Paris that put the tying runs on base and brought the potential winning run to the plate.

But Edmundo Fernandez came on for the Warriors and promptly got a strikeout to douse the threat and pick up the save for Sterling.

The Warriors jumped on top first on a solo homer by Miguel Velazquez in the second and a two-run single by Wesley Galloway in the third for a 3-0 lead.

Troy Puga (JR/Pueblo, Colo.) quickly changed that in the bottom of the third with his fourth home run of the season, a two-run blast that made it just a one-run deficit.

But Montelongo continued his torrid hitting in the twinbill with a two-run triple in the fourth that extended the Warrior lead back to three runs.

Puga had two hits for the Falcons (11-19, 6-9 KCAC) in the second game, while Montelongo had two more hits to finish the doubleheader with six hits in seven at-bats for Sterling (13-15, 8-8 KCAC).

Austin Eggleston (JR/Arlington, Texas) struck out four and surrendered five runs over seven innings, with Chris Issac pitching 6.2 solid innings with three runs allowed for the Warriors.

The Falcons and Warriors will wrap up the three-game series tomorrow morning (Mar. 23) at 11 am.