Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 ELSAH, ILL. – Tuesday evening the Principia Panthers hosted the Westminster Blue Jays. The Blue Jays entered the series with the conferences second best record. These two games were the Panthers final conference games of their 2015 campaign.
Game 1Gavin Thomas received the start on the mound for the Panthers in the opening game this evening. Thomas labored through five innings and allowed seven earned runs on seven hits while surrendering four walks, but striking out four along the way. He did not have his best stuff tonight though he still managed to compete while he was on the rubber.
Parker Tibbetts relieved Thomas in the sixth inning. Tibbetts pitched the sixth and seventh innings of the game and after the first batter he faced beat out an infield single on a close call at first base, Tibbetts retired the next six batters he faced in order. He also struck out three in his two innings of shutout ball. Tibbetts last few appearnaces out of the bullpen have been very nice outings and he has made much progress over the course of the season.
Westminster's starting pitcher, Collin Brinker, was effective in keeping the Panthers off balance throughout the night. He went five innings and allowed just two hits and did not surrender a run. He struck out eight during his five innings of work.
The Panthers were able to push across a run in the sixth inning when
Bryce Miller scored on an RBI sacfrifice fly delivered by
Gavin Thomas.
Ed Bargmann produced half of the Panthers hits in game one as he went 2-3 in the series opener. Other than that, the Panthers production was stagnant at the plate as they were unable to manufacture any other runs. As a result, they fell in the first game, 8-1.
Game 2Game 2 was quite contrary to the first game as the Panthers struck first and continued to tack on runs.
Dallen Russell pitched the game of his life. He dealt a complete game, one-hit shutout. Russell was as efficient as he has been all year and was economical in terms of how many pitches he threw over the course of his nine innings of work. He threw a brilliant game and it was every bit of a masterpiece as one could imagine. Russell threw the full nine innings, allowed just one hit, two walks, three hit batsmen, and struck out a whopping 13 Westminster batters.
Offensively the Panthers received contributions consistently throughout the lineup as seven of the nine starters collected base hits.
Christian Thomas and
Parker Davidson each compiled multi-hit games and were the only Panthers to do so.
Other highlights include
Aleq McMullin's grand slam in the fifth inning which seemed to put the game out of reach. McMullin was faced with a two-strike count and was able to put a great swing on a fastball which he launched over the scoreboard in left field.
Gavin Thomas tried to keep pace with McMullin and connected for a solo homerun in the eighth inning. McMullin currently leads the Panthers with three long balls this year while Thomas is in close pursuit with two. They are the only Panthers to have homered thus far in the 2015 season.
The Panthers played an exceptional defensive game as well as they did not commit an error in the ball game. Everyone on the team chipped in in one way or another tonight in order to earn the big W. The Panthers improved to 9-22 and 6-16 in the SLIAC with another win over a top team in the conference Tuesday night.
The Panthers final home games this year are set for this Friday evening against the Robert Morris Eagles at 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. They will honor their three seniors –
Dallen Russell,
Gavin Thomas, and
Christian Thomas – between the two games. The Panthers will then conclude their 2015 season on the road this Saturday, May 2, at 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. when they will take on the Lincoln Christian Red Lions in Lincoln, IL. Please come out and support the Panthers and help us honor the seniors this Friday night at 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. in the Panthers final home games of the year!
