Principia College traveled to Danville Kentucky to take on the Centre College Colonels in a three game weekend series. The Panthers, eager to be on a baseball field for just the second time this spring, shook off some rust in the opening double header.
Jack Adler picked up where he left off last season and ripped a one out line drive just outside of the shortstops reach. Adler was left stranded at first to end the inning. Sophomore,
Chris Stamos earned the start for the Panthers. A lead-off walk was all the Colonels needed to get into scoring position before a fielder's choice allowed their first run of the season to cross the plate on no hits. Centre added two more in the second on three hits with Stamos striking out two in the inning. Freshman Mikey Coyne picked up his first collegiate career hit in the Panther half of the third. Stamos would settle in and throw two scoreless innings adding four more K's before
Jack Adler would enter in relief. Adler had a strong first inning on the mound before running into some trouble in the sixth. A base clearing triple would extend the Colonel lead to 6-0.
Will Adler and
Chris Stamos each had a hit but were left stranded.
Spencer Cobb finished up for the Panthers on the mound picking up his first strikeout of the season as the Panthers dropped game one, 11-0.
Game two featured senior
Stephen Strong on the mound for the Panthers who kept Centre College off balance in the first two innings. They started to time him up the second time through as they scored four runs in each of the next two innings. The Panthers found a way to push their first run of the season across in the fifth.
Nathan Wood reached on a hit by pitch. Sophomore
Ben Kearney picked up his first collegiate hit. Wood's heads up base running allowed him to reach third on an errant pickoff throw which allowed him to score on a ground ball to short by
Jack Adler. Mike Brokensha,
Chris Strong, and
Grayle Kendall each had their first career at bats as the Panthers fell to Centre 9-1.
The Panthers looked like a new team in game three. They threatened in the first as J. Adler and Strong picked up back to back one out hits.
Sean Hannan picked up the start for the Panthers and picked up two quick outs before a walk and two hits put the Colonels on top. Hannan kept them off the scoreboard again until the third when a walk and two stolen bases allowed them to score on no hits. The Panthers would get on the board in the top of the fourth when Strong reached second on a throwing error by the shortstop. Stamos picked up a hit and advanced to second on a ball in the dirt. Hannan picked up his first RBI of the season on a ground out to second that scored Strong from third. Hannan threw four solid innings before being replaced on the mound by
Nathan Wood. Wood had an outstanding game on the mound keeping things close with two scoreless innings. A leadoff walk in the 7
th came around to score to make the score 4-1 in favor of Centre College. The Panthers wouldn't go quietly as Coyne led off the 8
th with a hit. Adler and Strong both drew walks to load the bases with no outs. Stamos drove a ball to centerfield and picked up an RBI on his sac fly.
Sean Hannan ripped a single that scored another as the Panthers cut the lead to just one. The Colonels added two more in the 8
th and took the game 6-3 to sweep the series.
Up Next:
The Panthers have their home opener this Friday, Feb 21
st and will host the Robert Morris Peoria Eagles in a best of three series.
