CEDARVILLE, Ohio – For the second straight day the Kentucky Wesleyan College baseball team suffered a walk-off loss in game one of a Great Midwest Athletic Conference doubleheader but a strong pitching performance from Sammy Holder in game two allowed the Panthers to salvage a split with Cedarville University. With the weekend split, the Panthers move to 20-20 overall and 9-7 in conference play.
Game One: Kentucky Wesleyan 3 – Cedarville 4
Cedarville held a 3-0 lead after four innings, holding the Panthers to just two hits. Kentucky Wesleyan knotted it up in the top of the sixth, scoring three runs off of only one hit, but three errors by Cedarville.
With two on and two out, Joseph Burke knocked a single down the right field line to score Adam Brown. Two batters later, Nathan Stemle hit a hard ground ball to the third basemen that bounced over his head into left field, allowing two runners to score and tie the game at three entering the final inning.
The Panthers couldn't keep the momentum going in the seventh, going three up and three down. With two on and two out in the bottom of the seventh, a Jacket hit a single to Cody Bridges in center field who threw a rocket to Cody Jackson at the plate to tag out the game winning run. Two batters later a single with two runners in scoring position allowed Cedarville to take game one in walk off fashion for the second straight day.
Mitchell Jones went the distance in his seventh loss of the season, striking out four and allowing four runs off of 10 hits. Burke went two-for-three in game one with one run driven in while Bridges and Seth Campbell tabbed one hit a piece.
Game Two: Kentucky Wesleyan 7 – Cedarville 3
Sammy Holder was locked in for game two, only allowing one base runner in the first three innings. Kentucky Wesleyan broke open the scoring in the top of the fourth, plating four runs off of three hits and two errors.
A lead-off walk followed by a single and an error loaded the bases for the Panthers with no outs. Stemle drove home Burke with a sacrifice fly to deep center. A pair of singles through the right side from Bridges and Josh Galvan scored three more runs to make it 4-0.
Kentucky Wesleyan saw its lead get cut in half in the bottom of the inning but pulled away with three runs in the top of the seventh to go up 7-2.
Burke doubled to lead off the inning and advanced to third on a bunt single from Snodgrass. A fielder's choice from Levi Tanner got Snodgrass out at second but allowed pinch runner Kiah Gledhill to score. Three straight singles from Stemle, Bridges and Campbell allowed Kentucky Wesleyan to score two more runs.
Spencer Jackson shut down Cedarville in the final two innings, allowing only one runner to reach base on an error in the bottom of the ninth.
Holder picked up his fifth win of the season, striking out four and allowing three runs off of five hits.
Bridges led the Panthers with three hits in game two while Galvan, Burke and Snodgrass each tabbed two. Galvan and Stemle each tabbed two runs driven in.
The Panthers return home on Tuesday to host the University of Southern Indiana on Tuesday with a single game slated for 3 pm CT. Kentucky Wesleyan returns to conference play next weekend, hosting Alderson Broaddus University with a pair of doubleheaders on Friday and Saturday.
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