ELSAH, IL – The Principia baseball team kicked off their 2025 home slate this weekend with a three-game series against the Maranatha Baptist Sabercats, taking the first two games before dropping the series finale.
Game 1: Panthers explode offensively in home opener
The Panthers wasted no time getting the bats going in front of their home crowd, cruising to a dominant 15-1 win in Friday's opener. Starting pitcher Micah Cook set the tone on the mound, throwing six strong innings, allowing just one run on four hits while striking out five.
Offensively, the Panthers broke the game open in the second inning. Braxton Ramsey led off with a triple and scored on a Kailis Mayo ground out. Tyler Gingras and Luis Gil reached base before Cole Christensen singled in a run. Dean Wood followed with a two-run double, and Josh Dement added another RBI double. Later in the inning, Mayo delivered a two-run single to cap off a seven-run frame.
In the fourth inning, Dement was hit by a pitch, Cooper Martinez singled, and Skyler Stock launched a three-run home run to extend the lead. The Panthers added five more runs in the fifth, sealing the game. Koye Calzada struck out the side in the final inning to secure the dominant victory.
Game 2: Panthers hold off late Sabercat rally
Game two saw the Panthers jump out early and hold on late to take the series with a 7-5 victory. Logan Cadey got the start, tossing four innings while allowing two runs (none earned) with four strikeouts.
The Panthers struck first in the opening frame, scoring on RBI hits from Mayo and Drake Stilwell. Maranatha tied the game at 2-2 in the third, but Principia responded with a four-run inning, highlighted by another Mayo RBI double, a two-run double from Wood, and an RBI single by Gingras. Ethan Booth pitched 2.1 innings of relief, striking out five while allowing just two earned runs.
Leading 6-3 in the seventh, the Panthers added an insurance run when Ramsey walked, stole second, and scored on a Mayo single. The Sabercats made things interesting in the final inning, loading the bases with one out. Sanders entered the game, allowed a hit-by-pitch and a ground out that scored a run, but ended the game with a huge strikeout to secure the win.
Game 3: Defensive miscues cost Panthers in series finale
Looking for the sweep, the Panthers couldn't overcome defensive struggles, dropping the series finale 5-3. Cole Christensen started and pitched five solid innings, allowing two runs on four hits. Nick Dolci took the loss, throwing two innings in relief and allowing three runs (one earned).
The Panthers trailed 2-0 before Josh Dement tied the game in the bottom of the fifth with a clutch bases-loaded single, plating two runs. But in the top of the seventh inning, a walk, a single, and three costly errors allowed the Sabercats to plate three runs, proving to be the difference in the game.
Looking Ahead: The 2-4 Panthers will hit the road next weekend for a four-game series against Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington.
