Kentucky Wesleyan College Athletics

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
Stepping out of conference for an in-state matchup, Kentucky Wesleyan baseball played Kentucky State in a rare weekday game.

KWC scored 20 or more runs for the second time this season, beating Kentucky State 20-6 in the opening game, then had to fight back to capture game two, 5-3.  The wins improved the Panthers' record to 13-7 on the season.

Troy Paris was the hitting star in game one, going 5-for-5 with three runs scored and 5 RBI's.   Tyler Howard propelled the Panthers in game two, going 3-for-4 with a homer and a pair of RBI's, but Andrew Kirkland was the hero, untying the game with a solo home run in the ninth.

Evan Mohr was the winner in game one, while Preston Frommeyer got the win in relief in game two.  Justin Kittel was able to net save number four in the second game for KWC.

GAME ONE – KWC 20, Kentucky St. 6 (7 innings)

The Panthers were able to strike early in game one, scoring twice in the first and four times in the second for a quick 6-1 lead through two innings.  Paris' first hit and RBI's came in the first inning, when he double to left to score Johnathan Eberhardt and Dennon Koziol to give KWC the early 2-0 lead.

Kentucky St. cut the lead in half in the first and the Panthers were able to respond in the top of the second.  A pair of RBI's from Koziol, one from Eberhardt and an RBI single from Chad Klein gave the Panthers a 6-1 lead after two.
Dennon Koziol scored on an error in the fourth and the lead was 7-1.  Kentucky St. would not go away, however, scoring five runs combined in the fourth and the fifth to cut KWC's lead to 7-6 after five innings before the flood gates opened.

KWC exploded for 13 runs over the final two frames, including eight in the seventh, to put the game out of reach.  Paris collected his final three of five RBI's in the final two frames for the Panthers.

Evan Mohr was the winner for KWC, throwing 4.1 innings, allowing nine hits and six runs while striking out four.  Jordan Collier relieved Mohr in the fifth and threw the final 2.2 innings in dominant fashion, allowing just one base runner, on a hit by pitch, with one K.

GAME TWO – KWC 5, Kentucky St. 3

Kentucky St. was not deflated by the game one loss and they jumped on the Panthers early, scoring a run in the first to take a 1-0 lead.  Josh Galvan's sacrifice fly in the second tied the game at one, before the Thorobreds answered with a run in the fourth to take a 2-1 lead through four.

KWC responded again, scoring on a double steal in the fifth inning to tie the game at two.  Kentucky St. took their final lead of the game in the sixth, and looked like they would end it, leading 3-2 in the seventh.

Tyler Howard had a different idea, however, bashing his first home run of the season to tie the game at three and send it to the 8th. Neither team scored in the eighth, which gave KWC a chance to take the lead in the ninth.

The Panthers would capitalize on the opportunity, getting a leadoff home run from Kirkland to go ahead and adding an insurance run on a Howard single to make the score 5-3.  Kittel came in for KWC in the ninth and shut to door on Kentucky State, earning his fourth save of the season.

Spencer Otto started for the Panthers, throwing 5.1 innings and surrendering six hits and three runs and striking out three.  Frommeyer picked up the win in relief, going 2.2 innings allowing just one hit and garnering a K.  Kittel threw
the ninth, giving up just a walk and picking up a strikeout.

The Panthers get back into Great Midwest Athletic Conference play this weekend with a trip to Cedarville, Ohio.  First pitch of the four game series is Friday beginning at noon.