CARLINVILLE, IL – The Principia baseball team secured its first conference win of the season and showed continued offensive growth during a three-game series at Blackburn this weekend. The Panthers out-hit the Beavers in two of the three games and combined timely hitting with steady pitching to earn a decisive win in the series finale.
Game 1: Blackburn 3, Principia 2
Principia opened the series on Friday by out-hitting Blackburn, 9-6, but four Panther errors proved costly in a narrow 3-2 loss.
The Panthers struck first in the second inning behind a string of hits, including an RBI ground out by
Cole Christensen and an RBI single from
Josh Dement. Principia finished with nine hits in the contest, led by two-hit performances from
Johnny Garcia,
Josh Dement, and
Josh Bayless.
On the mound,
Logan Cadey allowed just two earned runs over five innings, while
Tyler Baggiore was dominant out of the bullpen, striking out seven over three scoreless frames. Despite strong pitching and an offensive edge, Blackburn capitalized on defensive miscues to edge out the opener.
Game 2: Blackburn 19, Principia 11
The opening game on Saturday turned into an offensive slugfest, as both teams collected 15 hits. Principia jumped ahead with a six-run fourth inning and added four more in the fifth, highlighted by a three-RBI double from
Kailis Mayo and a home run from
Skyler Stock.
Mayo finished the game with five RBIs, while Stock and
Drake Stilwell both homered. However, Blackburn answered with big innings of its own, including a six-run fourth and four-run fifth, swinging the momentum in a high-scoring contest.
Game 3: Principia 13, Blackburn 3
Principia responded emphatically in the series finale, rolling to a 13-3 victory to secure its first conference win of the 2026 season. The Panthers exploded for 16 hits and scored in five different innings.
Braxton Ramsey went 5-for-6 with three runs scored and two RBIs, while
Josh Dement added three hits and three RBIs.
Skyler Stock chipped in three hits and drove in a run, as Principia out-hit Blackburn 16-7. Stock was a steady presence in the middle of the Panther lineup throughout the weekend, delivering quality at-bats in all three games and helping Principia apply consistent pressure offensively. "I felt like I have been seeing the ball well all season and I felt like it finally all came together in this series," Stock said. "And it was super important to me to provide that consistency, especially against a team who I would consider to be one of our biggest rivals."
After allowing two runs in the first inning, the Panther pitching staff settled in. Starter
Cole Christensen earned the win with five innings of work, and
Charlie Reiss closed the door with four scoreless innings in relief, allowing just three hits to preserve the commanding win.
Series by the Numbers
- Principia Hit Leaders:
- Principia RBI Leaders:
- Principia Runs Scored Leaders:
- Principia K Leaders: (25 strikeouts)
- Principia Innings Pitched:
Next Up
The Panthers will return to Elsah for a home game against UHSP on Tuesday evening, before hosting Webster for a three-game series on Thursday and Friday.
