FULTON, MO – The Panthers Baseball team traveled to Westminster College to take on the Blue Jays in a midweek SLIAC doubleheader as they looked for their first conference win of the season.
Principia jumped out to an early lead in the top of the first of game one. After Dean Wood and Ben Perrine both singled, Ryan D'Amico walked to load the bases. Two runs would score on a ground ball to third off the bat of Kailis Mayo when the throw to the plate got away. Gavin Matchell then singled and plated another run to give the Panthers a 3-0 lead. The Blue Jays jumped right back in the game scoring two runs on only one hit in the home half of the first. With two outs in the top of the second, Perrine hit a big 2-run home run to left as the Panthers increased to their lead to 5-2. Logan Cadey threw a scoreless second to preserve the lead.
Westminster's starter settled in and kept the Panthers off the scoreboard the next four innings. The Blue Jays offense strung together five hits and scored seven runs in the bottom of the third to go ahead 9-5. They would add two more in the fourth and two more in the sixth to extend the lead to 13-5. The Panthers wouldn't go quietly, however. In the ninth, Josh Dement led off with a double, Cade Chamblin reached on an error, and Dean Wood singled in Dement. Perrine then singled, D'Amico singled in Chamblin, Mayo reached on a fielders choice that plated Wood, and a wild pitch allowed Perrine to score. The four late runs made it a closer final score of 13-9, but the Panthers ran out of innings.
The Panthers jumped out to a lead again in game two. Principia scored three runs on four hits off the bats of Mayo, Matchell, Stock and Ramsey. After responding with a run of their own in the bottom of the first, the Blue Jays would score five in the second and six in the third to take a commanding 12-3 lead. In the fourth, the Panthers would chip away at the lead thanks to a 2-run blast to left off the bat of Mayo. Principia would give the two runs back – one in the fourth and one in the fifth. Down nine going into the sixth, Mayo hit his second home run of the game, this time a 3-run no doubter to left. Charlie Reiss threw well in his extended relief appearance limiting the damage. However, the Blue Jays scored 4 in the bottom of the eighth and were able to mercy the Panthers 19-9.
Stat of the Game: The. Panthers outhit the Blue Jays in game two 14-12. The Panthers also had 10 hits in game one.
Did You Know: After hitting three long balls on the day, the Panthers now lead the SLIAC with 17 home runs so this season. When asked about his two home runs that helped the Panthers bounce back in game two, Mayo responded, "I was seeing the ball very well in the second game. He hung a curve ball and I got a barrel on it. The second homer was a fastball that I just simply jumped all over."
Marston's Minute: "I'm thrilled with how we're swinging the bat and playing defense. We're finding ways to get things done at the plate, and it was nice to see that even when it looked like things were over in game one, we hit our way back into the game."
Up Next: The Panthers will host Eureka for a conference single nine inning game on Friday starting at 3:00 pm. Then on Saturday, we will play a conference nine inning game beginning at noon, followed by and a non-conference seven inning game.
