LAKE WALES, Fla. – First polls are out and the Royals rank in at #1 in the NCCAA and are receiving votes (RV) in the NAIA. With the double header sweep today the Royals are now 18-5 on the year.
Warner won the 1
st game against the Bellevue Bruins 10-3 and finished the day with a walk-off walk to defeat the Siena Heights Saints 3-2. Both games today were scheduled for 7 innings.
The Royals offense came out in full force in the 1
st game today, as they hit .433 as a team against the Bruins.
Xanders Vazquez came into the day riding a 14 game hit streak and extended it to 16 games after going 1-2 in the 1
st game of today's double header and finished the day going 1-2 again at the plate against the Saints. Over the span of the 16 game hit streak Xanders has been walked 10 times and has 8 HBP, even with the bat being taken out of his hand half the time he continues to find holes in the defense, hitting an astounding .461 in 20 games played.
Game 1
Jaryd Clary took the mound for the Royals in game 1, grabbing his 4
th with of the season (4-0), pitching 5 innings and striking out 5 batters before being relieved by
Ryan Klingler.
Klingler took the mound in the 6
th inning, pitched 2 innings, striking out 2 Bruins batters and giving up not hits. Sealing the 10-3 victory for the Royals.
SID Players Of The Game
Rafael Astacio: 3-4, 2B, 3 RBI's, 1 Run
Scott Fickas: 3-4, 1 RBI, 2 Runs
The Royals jumped on the board in the bottom of the 1
st inning when
Ronny Penalo drew a bases loaded walk, bringing home
Rio Russell who lead the game off with a double to right center.
Xanders Vazquez and
Scott Fickas followed with singles of their own before Penalo drew the no out walk.
2 more runs came across for the Royals in the bottom of the 1
st when
Rafael Astacio singled up the middle to bring home Fickas and Vazquez.
The flood gates opened in the bottom of the 2
nd inning as Warner put up 7 more runs off hits from
Erich Jaquez,
Scott Fickas,
Ronny Penalo,
Trey Matthews,
Rafael Astacio and
Josh Strickland.
Clary pitched shut out baseball until the 5
th inning when the Bruins were able to get a double off the left field wall, bringing home 3 runs to bring the Royals lead down to 7.
Ryan Klingler came in and shut the door on the Bruins offense, closing out the last 2 innings and sealing the 10-3 win.
Game 2
SID Players Of The Game
Andrew Yarbrough: 5 2/3 IP, 8 K's, 1 BB
Rafael Astacio: 2-3, 1 Run
Freshman
Andrew Yarbrough took the mound for the Royals in game 2, making his 1
st career start for the Royals. Yarbrough pitched 5 2/3 innings, striking out 8 while only allowing 1 walk before being relieved by
Taylor Briggs who came in and held the Saints back, pitching 1 1/3 innings striking out 3 and grabbing his 2
nd win of the year, (2-0).
Warner's offense was slowed down by the Saints pitching tonight but got on the board first when
Erich Jaquez scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the 2
nd inning.
The Royals added their 2
nd run of the game in the bottom of the 3
rd off a double to right center that allowed
Rafael Astacio to score from 1
st base.
The Saints got 1 back in the top of the 5
th off a fielder's choice, bringing the score to 2-1 in favor of the Royals.
The Royals lead was taken away in the 6
th inning when the Saints hit a single down the left field line that allowed the Saints to tie the game at 2-2.
Taylor Briggs came in a did a fantastic job of holding the Saints offense back, keeping the tie in tact as the Royals headed to the plate in the bottom of the 7
th and final inning.
With the score tied 2-2
Xanders Vazquez lead things off for the Royals in the bottom of the 7
th and reached on an error by the 2
nd baseman.
Scott Fickas was able to advance Vazquez to 2
nd with a SAC bunt.
The Saints intentionally walked
Ronny Penalo, leading to a
Rafael Astacio single over 2
nd base. Which brought pinch hitter
Alex Vazquez up to the plate with the bases loaded. After working the count full and fighting off several pitches Vazquez was able to draw the walk-off walk for the 3-2 win over the Saints.
