ELSAH, IL – The Principia baseball team hosted midweek series against SLIAC foe, Westminster College. The Panthers battled but ultimately fell short as they dropped Game 1 in a lopsided 17-2 loss before a hard-fought 17-9 defeat in Game 2.
Game 1: Westminster 17, Panthers 2
Logan Cadey made his fifth start of the season, but defensive struggles proved costly as Westminster capitalized on multiple errors to break the game open. The Blue Jays struck first with two unearned runs in the second and added five runs more in the fourth.
The Panthers showed some fight in the home half of the fourth, sparked by
Skyler Stock reaching on a hit-by-pitch.
Dean Wood singled to set up a bases-loaded opportunity, and
Cooper Martinez delivered with a two-run single. Martinez led the offense with a 2-for-3 performance, but the Panthers couldn't keep pace as Westminster tacked on four more unearned runs in the fifth to take full control.
Game 2: Westminster 17, Panthers 9
Looking to bounce back, the Panthers put up a strong offensive showing in Game 2.
Cole Christensen took the mound and started strong, striking out three in the first. Offensively, the Panthers threatened early, with
Josh Dement drawing a leadoff walk and
Braxton Ramsey singling, but they were left stranded.
Westminster jumped ahead with three runs in the second, but the Panthers responded in the bottom half.
Justice Fortson worked a leadoff walk, and five consecutive singles chased the Westminster starter from the game, knotting things up at 3-3.
The back-and-forth battle continued, with Westminster regaining the lead and the Panthers answering in key moments. Down 7-4 in the fifth, the Panthers rallied with two outs. A Dement single, and Ramsey double would tie the game at 7-7.
However, Westminster pulled ahead for good with one run in the sixth and a four-run seventh that put the game out of reach. The Panthers continued to fight, with
Casey Golbiw picking up an RBI single in the eighth and a ninth-inning rally loading the bases.
Tyler Gingras singled in a run, but the Blue Jays closed it out to secure the win. The Panthers tallied 13 hits in Game 2, led by Dement and Ramsey, who both went 3-for-3. Martinez added another 2-for-4 performance, and five others contributed to the offensive effort.
Looking ahead: Despite the losses, the Panthers showed resilience at the plate and will look to carry that momentum into their next matchup. Principia will head north to take on the Eureka Red Devils this Saturday for a conference doubleheader beginning at 12:00 pm.
