Avila Baseball Locks Up Postseason Spot with Sweep of Panthers

YORK, Neb. – For the first time since the squad has been part of the conference, Avila baseball (22-25, 17-16 KCAC) has qualified for the KCAC Baseball Championship after the Eagles defeated York (20-26, 12-21 KCAC) in a pair of exciting games on Tuesday afternoon in Nebraska.

Avila baseball qualified for the HAAC Tournament in 2018, the team's final year in their previous conference, but has never qualified for the postseason in their new league – until this year. There are still three more games to play before the KCAC's official bracket reveal later this weekend, but after their two wins on Tuesday, the Eagles have now won 17 games in league play, which will guarantee them a spot in the eight-team KCAC Tournament next week in Great Bend, Kansas.

It's an impressive feat for Matt Carpenter, in his second full season as Avila's head coach, his staff, and his team, who have now all but officially cemented their place in Avila baseball history. The Eagles will still have three more challenging games against regular season champion Kansas Wesleyan on tap this weekend, but they will be able to play those games secure with the knowledge that at least a couple more games await them on the other side.

It was an impressive display of the resilience and resolve that helped Avila start off so strongly in KCAC competition this season. After Avila fell to York in a now infamous single game at The Z last month, the Eagles defeated the Panthers by a combined total of three runs in a pair of games that meant a lot for both teams' postseason aspirations.

There was no late-game collapse from the Eagles this time around against York, but that's not to say these two games weren't tense and tight. Both teams tallied 17 hits in Tuesday's first game and York scored the game's final four runs, but Avila managed to hang on to earn a critical win in the opener.

Offense was certainly the story early for both teams. Zach Dillman and Tyler King both drove in runs to give the visitors a 2-0 lead in the top of the first before the Panthers canceled that with three in the bottom half. Avila then took a 4-3 lead in the top of the third before York punched back with five runs on six hits in their third to grab an 8-4 edge.

The Eagles wasted absolutely no time mounting a rally, however. Avila scored four runs off five hits in each of the next two innings to vault back in front 12-8 after five. Landon Vahle, Ricky Dober and Dillman all drove in runs in the fourth before Dober and Dillman delivered consecutive run-scoring extra-base hits in the fifth to buoy those big frames. Avila had chances to score even more but ran into issues with the bases loaded on more than one occasion; a fielder's choice hit into by Dillman in the sixth scored JJ Stubblefield for Avila's only run of the sixth.

And that final run would prove pivotal, because the Panthers steadily put together yet another rally. RBI singles from Ian Heck and Ryan Romero helped York score three in the sixth, and then an RBI double from top slugger Daniel Polo in the eighth brought the Panthers all the way back within a run.

Corbin Hamman was strong over three innings of relief for Avila and Jack Dotterer came up huge to record the final six outs. Cameron Reeve walked to lead off the ninth chasing only a run, but Dotterer got Nick DeMonte to hit into a double play keyed by Vahle at short and then got Dino Morales to fly out, wrapping up his first save as an Eagles and securing the 13-12 victory.

Both teams' offenses were tempered in the final game of the series, which was converted to a 7-inning contest when the series was shifted to this doubleheader. After scoring in five of the first six innings in the first game, Avila managed to score in only one inning in the second, but that one big inning was enough to guide them to a doubleheader sweep and an overall series win over York.

A hot shot hit by Austin Grant helped the Panthers strike first in the fourth inning. Avila got only two hits and no runs against starter Cole Doebele, but the Eagles finally took advantage of their chances against Sam Maudsley in the sixth, erupting for five runs on six hits to take the lead for good. Stubblefield led off the inning with a triple down the right field line, and Bryce Culp quickly followed with yet another clutch knock to tie the game at one.

Rhett Rogers entered to run for Culp in a key spot, and advanced to second on a groundout. Landon Vahle stepped up and chopped a single through the left side to put Avila in front for the first time, and though Maudsley was able to record the second out, the Eagles did not quit. Dillman remained red hot with an RBI double, and then both Tyler King and Robby Cable delivered RBI singles around a walk from Paxton Andrade to round out a five-run sixth.

Avila once again was able to throw its 7-inning tandem of Logan Empson and Alex Walton, and the Eagles' top two arms were more than good enough to guide them to a win. Empson threw the first four innings, allowing only one run on four hits. He left with his team trailing 1-0, and then Walton threw the final three frames.

York continued to flash its late-game scoring ability, pulling two back off Walton in the sixth inning after Avila put up its five-spot, but Walton got a pinch-hitting Trevor Peterson to pop out as the tying run to escape the threat. Avila could not add on in the seventh, but it mattered little, because Walton retired the side with three flyouts to improve to a perfect 7-0 on the season and wrap up a 5-3 win for his team in the final game of the season-long series.

The Eagles know their postseason fate is secure, but they will have one more very tough test ahead of them before they can get to that point. Kansas Wesleyan, which has already secured the regular season KCAC title, is coming to town this weekend for Avila's final home series of the year. The series will feature a doubleheader on Friday and a single game on Saturday, with action beginning at 1 PM on both days. As always, you can watch all the action live and for free on the Avila Sports Network.