Box Score Elsah, ILL. -- The Principia Panthers hosted the Blackburn Beavers in a single nine inning conference matchup.
Sawyer Grow received the nod for the Panthers and made quick work of the Beaver lineup the first few innings. Grow had a 1-2-3 second and brought the Panthers bats to the plate after a scoreless first. The Panthers stuck first picking up a run in the second on an RBI single by
Bryce Murray scoring
Parker Davidson, who doubled two pitches earlier. Blackburn picked up two hits on well-placed bunts in the third starting a trend that would continue deep into the game. Grow would work out of the jam and keep the Beavers scoreless through three. Principia tacked on three more in the bottom half of the third extending their lead to four.
The Beavers reverted to what worked earlier and the leadoff man reached on a bunt down the third base line. A base hit single was followed up with another bunt to load the bases. Blackburn made it on the board but Grow did a great job limiting the damage to a single run. Principia would plate one unearned run in the fourth. Beavers would fight their way back into the game in the fifth. A leadoff single followed by two bunt singles would again load the bases to put the pressure on Grow. He made a great pitch and induced a 6-4-3 double play to pick up the first two outs of the inning. The next batter hit a high flyball to right that made its way over the fence for a homerun. Grow picked up the next out without any more damage but the Beavers now only trailed by one. The Panthers were blanked in the bottom half of the fifth and the Beavers would chase Grow in the 6
th after he retired the first two batters on pop ups to second. Two triples, followed by two singles and another triple forced Head Coach,
Chris Marston, to go to the pen.
Alex Stamos, bouncing back from his rough start against Westminster, retired the first batter he faced with a pop up to second.
With the Beavers out in front 8-5, the wind really picked up and good hustle by junior,
Connor Coyne, turned what seemed like a sure out into a dropped ball on the infield and Coyne safe at second.
Hunter Mehring picked up an RBI on one of his three hits for the day. An error in the field and two bunts later, the Beavers picked up another run stretching the lead to three. Again the Panthers answered as the bottom of the Panther lineup (
Jeff Ross,
Parker Tibbetts, and
Aleq McMullin) strung three hits together and Coyne picked up the RBI on a Sac Fly scoring Ross.
A lead off error in the top of the eighth allowed Blackburn to add to their lead but Stamos settled down after a single and retired the next three. Principia, now down 10-7, began the eighth with a double by Mehring, and a walk to Grennie. With the first two runners aboard,
Parker Davidson walked to the plate as the tying run. He smashed a triple to the right center gap and got the Panther dugout excited. With one out, Ross and Tibbets both drew walks and before McMullin singled in a run. Coyne grounded to the third basemen to threw home to get the out but threw it beyond the outstretched arm of the catcher allowing two runs to score.
Jake Kearney then singled picking up two RBI's and giving the Panthers some insurance runs.
Principia regained the lead 14-10 after scoring seven in the 8
th. After giving up a leadoff single, Stamos retired the side to pick up the second Panther win this week.
Aleq McMullin and
Parker Davidson lead the offensive charge today with four hits and an RBI and two hits and three RBI's.
Jeff Ross and
Hunter Mehring both had three hits and four other Panthers contributed with at least one hit.
The Panther's head to Carlinville, IL tomorrow to finished the series against Blackburn beginning at 12:00pm and 2:00pm.
