BASEBALL PICKS UP FIFTH-STRAIGHT WIN, THEN SPLITS WITH STERLING ON SENIOR DAY

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A fifth-straight win with the regular season winding down began Avila's senior day festivities on Saturday before ultimately splitting the doubleheader with Sterling. The Eagles picked up an 8-6 win and an 11-5 loss at The Z. The win on Saturday helped the Eagles secure the series win over the Warriors.

The opening game of the day saw Avila score at least one run in each of the first four innings.

The scoring began for Avila with a Ricky Dober RBI single in the first inning. Avila followed that up with a two-run second coming on runs scored off a wild pitch and a Zach Dillman RBI double.

Avila added another run in the third on a Sterling error and three more in the fourth inning, coming off a wild pitch, an error and a Jack Virden RBI single.

Sterling put up single runs in the second and fourth and through four, Avila held a 7-2 lead.

Antonio Villalobos had a solid start on the mound for the Eagles, tossing six innings and allowing just one earned run.

Avila put up their eighth run of the day on an RBI single from Tyler King in the seventh inning. From there, Sterling began to mount a comeback.

The Warriors scored one in the eighth inning and would add three more in the ninth.

Coming on to earn the save out of the bullpen, Avila senior Gio Armas would strand the tying run at second base in the bottom of the ninth to help the Eagles hang on to get the 8-6 victory, marking their fifth-straight win.

Tyler King and Jack Virden – two Avila seniors – each recorded three base knocks for the Eagles in the game.

Ten Avila seniors were honored with their families between the two games. After the senior day celebrations, the Eagles were unable to extend their winning streak to six as Sterling used a monster sixth inning to come away with the doubleheader split.

In game number two, the Warriors opened the scoring up with two runs in the fourth inning, but Avila answered back immediately with a two-RBI double off the bat of Robby Cable.

Avila would score four in the bottom of the fifth inning off of three-straight RBI singles from Dober, Virden and Will Clark. A fourth run in the fifth inning came from a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch from Tommy English to give the Eagles a 5-2 lead through five.

From there, Sterling took control, putting up nine runs off six hits in the top of the sixth inning to secure the 11-5 victory. 

The Eagles have five games remaining in the regular season and will next visit Southwestern on Tuesday at 2 PM.

(photo credit: Albert Guerrero)