WATERTOWN, WI – The Principia baseball team traveled to Maranatha Baptist University in central Wisconsin on Monday for their final non-conference matchup of the season. Strong Panther pitching and timely hitting allowed Principia to sweep the doubleheader against the Sabercats.
Game 1: Panthers Explode Early in 12-3 Win
The Panthers wasted no time getting on the board, striking for two runs in the top of the first.
Braxton Ramsey brought in the first run with a sacrifice fly to right, and
Josh Bayless followed with a clutch two-out RBI single to give Principia a 2-0 lead. Maranatha answered quickly, stringing together four hits and a walk in the bottom half to take a 3-2 lead. Starting pitcher
Koye Calzada stopped the damage with a double play and fly out, then settled in to control the game from the mound.
Principia tied things up in the second as
Tyler Gingras delivered an RBI ground out with runners on second and third. The Panthers broke the game open in the third, scoring six runs on four hits to take an 8-3 lead, and tacked on three more in the fourth to stretch the advantage to 12-3.
Charlie Reiss came on in the seventh, surrendering one hit but picked up three strikeouts to close out the game.
Justice Fortson and
Skyler Stock paced the offense with two hits each, while six other Panthers added hits in the dominant win.
The Panthers ran wild on the base paths in game one with a remarkable 15 total stolen bases. This sets a new program record by a wide margin as the previous record was 10.
Braxton Ramsey had a team-high four bags swiped in the contest.
Game 2: Christensen Shines in 4-0 Shutout
Game two was a pitcher's duel with Panther sophomore
Cole Christensen having the best start of his career as he allowed just two hits and no runs over seven innings with seven strikeouts.
After Principia loaded the bases in the first without converting,
Andrew Carpenter got things rolling in the second with a double and then scored on a throwing error after a base hit from Gingras. Carpenter was at it again in the fourth, getting hit by a pitch, stealing second, and scoring on a single from
Cooper Martinez. Gingras doubled to drive in Martinez, giving the Panthers a 3-0 lead. In the fifth, Carpenter delivered once more, singling in
Dean Wood from third for the team's fourth and final run.
Christensen capped off his performance with a highlight-reel barehanded play on a bunt in the seventh. A one-out single gave the Sabercats brief hope, but two quick ground outs sealed the shutout and the doubleheader sweep. Gingras and Carpenter each had two hits in the nightcap, and five other Panthers recorded hits in the 4-0 win.
Looking ahead: The Panthers return home this Saturday for their final doubleheader of the season as they host Lyon College beginning at noon. This will be Senior Day for Principia, and the team's three seniors will be honored in between the two games.
