Jacksonville, ILL. — The Panthers traveled to MacMurray to play the first game of the final series of the season.
Liam Foster started things off with a single in the top of the first and with one out
Stephen Strong singled him to third. A passed ball allowed Foster to score as the Panthers took an early lead. With two outs,
Aleq McMullin and
Chris Stamos both drew walks to load the bases.
Jack Adler was hit by a pitch to score Strong. Junior
Will Adler ripped a single that scored two runs to make the lead 4-0.
Senior
Alex Stamos got the nod for the Panthers and threw a gem in his final collegiate career start. Sitting second in career strikeouts, he picked up two more to add to his total while stranding two Highlanders in the bottom of the first. Principia, who had batted around the lineup in the first, did so again in the second knocking MacMurray's starter from the game early. The Panthers went on to score four more unearned runs in the second to give Stamos a comfortable lead.
Chris Stamos and
Jack Adler both picked up RBIs in the second. After giving up back to back singles in the bottom of the second, Stamos popped up the next batter. He worked out of the jam with some help from a nice defensive play by
Sean Hannan over at third base fielding a groundball to his right stepping on third and firing a strike to first to get the inning ending double play.
Sean Hannan singled in the third and scored on a McMullin single to right field.
Chris Stamos picked up his second RBI singling in
Stephen Strong as the Panthers scored two more to stretch their lead to 10. MacMurray wasn't ready to call it quits and showed some life in the sixth. A leadoff single followed by a bunt single on a bang-bang play at first had MacMurray threatening. Stamos struck out the next batter before another single loaded the bases. Stamos struck out the next batter for the second out and got the groundball he wanted but it was booted allowing MacMurray to score two runs. Stamos picked up the third out himself with his third K of the inning. MacMurray was able to stifle the Panther bats until the ninth when back to back doubles by Foster and Hannan made it an 11-2 lead.
Alex Stamos had a quick ninth as MacMurray's two, three and four hitters flew out to end the game.
Alex Stamos picked up his first win of the season and tallied 10 strikeouts and zero earned runs in his complete game victory.
Up Next:
The Panthers will head back up to MacMurray tomorrow for their final two games of the season with start times scheduled for
1pm and
3pm.
