(CHAMBERSBURG, Pa.) – Wilson continued its strong start to the season with a pair of wins over Alfred State in a home-opening twin bill on Sunday. The two teams were supposed to play the doubleheader yesterday, but rain altered the plans and turned the three-game series into nine- and seven-inning showdowns.
The Basics
Scores: Game 1 – Wilson 10, Alfred State 7
Game 2 – Wilson 9, Alfred State 4
Venue: Henninger Field
Records: Wilson 3-0, Alfred State 3-4
How It Happened (Game 1)
- The Pioneers opened the scoring with a solo run on a single to right in the top of the first, but Wilson was quick to respond and did so in a big way. After a pair of walks to start the bottom of the frame, Jordan McKenzie (Sr., White Plains, Md. / North Point) lifted off with a 3-run homer to score Kade Linton (So., Frederick, Md. / Tuscarora) and Ryan Torres (Jr., Baltimore, Md. / Archbishop Curley) to take the lead.
- Alfred State answered with a round trip of its own to lead off the second and eventually tied the game on a sac fly to right field. It didn't take long for the Phoenix to respond as Tyler Gibbons (FY, Forrest Hill, Md. / Calvert Hall) scored in the bottom of the second after he reached on an error and stole second. One inning later, Jordan Daphney (Jr., Countryside, Fla. / Countryside) doubled to left field to bring around McKenzie to make the score 5-3. Another extra base hit scored Daphney as a triple by Brady Andre (Sr., Brookeville, Md. / Sherwood) made the score 7-3.
- Wilson went on to make it 8-3 on a double by Andre in the bottom of the fifth. The Pioneers rallied in the top of the sixth with four runs in the sixth, but Briar Castellow was able to get our of a bases-loaded jam with a strikeout to end the frame. McKenzie then capped the scoring with his second homer of the game in the bottom of the seventh.
Game 2
- The nightcap had a similar feel as both teams scored early. The Pioneers plated a pair on three hits to open the game, but Harry Middlebrooks (FY, Bel Air, Md. / Archbishop Curley) pulled the Blue and White even with a two-run homer in the bottom of the first.
- Wilson broke the game open in the bottom of the third as Peyton Taylor (Sr., Worton, Md. / Kent County) hit a two-run double to right field to make the score 4-2. One batter later, Kodi Deskins (FY, Tampa, Fla. / Clearwater Central Catholic) sailed one over the left field fence to make it 6-2.
- Alfred State cut the deficit to two in its next at bat, but the Phoenix got one of those runs back in the bottom of the fourth as Haden Hoff (Sr., Westminster, Md. / Westminster) singled up the middle to score Andre who led off the inning with a double down the left field line.
- In their last at-bat, the Phoenix picked up a pair of insurance runs to set up the final score. After Andre and Gage Goss (So., Holiday, Fla. / Anclote) singled to start the bottom of the sixth, a sacrifice bunt by Torres resulted in a Pioneers error as they tried to get the lead runner.
Inside The Numbers
- Hoff had quite a day as he went a combined 5-for-7 at the plate with two runs and two RBI. He was 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI in the nightcap.
- Both Andre and Taylor hit .500 for the day as they went 4-for-8 between both games. Taylor opened the day going 3-for-5 while Andre had multiple hits in both games with three RBI in the opener and two runs scored in Game 2.
- Briar Castellow (Sr., Thurmont, Md. / Catoctin) was tabbed as the winner in Game 1 as the most effective pitcher in the opener. He went 1.1 with all four putouts coming on strikes. Ben Tunnell (Sr., St. Petersburg, Fla. / Lakewood) recorded the victory in a similar manner in Game 2. He pitched the fifth and sixth innings with three strikeouts against one hit and one walk allowed.
Up Next
The Phoenix will head to Morehead City, North Carolina for three neutral site games. They'll open with St. Joseph's University Brooklyn and follow up with Stevenson on Saturday. Wilson will close the weekend with Juniata.
