Friends Athletics
Levi Convirs, Sports Information Director
STERLING – The (RV) Friends University Falcons won for the 12th time in 13 games with a convincing sweep of the Sterling College Warriors on Saturday in Sterling, Kan. The wins today, by scores of 7-0 and 8-2, also finished a sweep of the three-game series.
The Falcons received a sparkling start from Alex Dafoe in the first game along with a career-high tying four hits by Augie Isaacson.
Dafoe struck out a career-best 11 batters in his 8 1/3 shutout innings, allowing only six hits and two walks.
Isaacson drove in the Falcons’ first run in the third inning and John Gardner singled home two runs to key a four-run fifth frame.
Isaacson then hit a two-run triple to score Justin Braziel and Jacob Trimble in the eighth inning to put an exclamation point on the Falcons’ opening game victory.
Patrick Gonzalez got the final two outs in the bottom of the ninth to close out the win for Friends.
Troy Puga and Braziel each had an RBI in the win for the Falcons.
Justin Braziel then put the Falcons on top in the nightcap with an RBI single in the second inning.
Isaacson also drew a bases-loaded walk in the second before Friends took charge with a four-run third frame.
Gardner hit a lead-off double to begin the third and pinch runner Zach McAnally was doubled home by Jace Snodgrass.
The inning also featured an RBI single by Braziel and a sacrifice fly by Andrew Chartrand.
The Falcons tacked on two more tallies in the fourth on a sacrifice fly from Gardner and an RBI single by Justin Fink.
Braziel went two-of-four for the Falcons in the second game and drove in two runs, while Snodgrass and Fink also produced two hits.
Sean Cruz gave the Falcons their second solid start of the day, going seven innings and giving up just two earned runs and striking out five.
AJ Romer had two hits for the Warriors, including an RBI single in the fourth inning.
The Falcons, now 21-9 overall and 14-4 in the KCAC, will next play at Central Christian College Tuesday evening (Mar. 27) at 6 p.m. in McPherson, Kan.
Friends will then return home and host McPherson College for a three-game conference series starting next Friday (Mar. 30) at 6 p.m. at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium.