CANTON, Ohio – For the second time in four games, the Kentucky Wesleyan College baseball was victorious in extra innings on Saturday, defeating Malone 4-2 before dropping a one-run game two of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference doubleheader. With the split the Panthers move to 14-15 overall and 3-3 in conference play.
Game One: Kentucky Wesleyan 4 – Malone 2 (11 innings)
The Panthers opened up the scoring in the first inning, taking a 1-0 lead. Cody Bridges drew a walk to start the inning and reached third after a failed pickoff attempt by the pitcher. With two outs and Bridges on third, Adam Brown singled to center field to put the Panthers ahead by one.
Malone responded with a leadoff triple to start the bottom of the frame and knotted the game at one on a sacrifice fly.
Jacob Snodgrass put a spark in the Kentucky Wesleyan offense in the top of the eighth, getting on base with a single through the right side. Andrew Kirkland kept it going with a double to right field to bring Snodgrass home and give the Panthers a 2-1 advantage.
The Pioneers tied it up in the bottom of the ninth, scoring on a passed ball. The winning run was on base but a Seth Campbell – Nathan Stemle – Adam Brown double play would end the inning and send the game to extras.
Campbell led off the top of the 11th with a single to center and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from Stemle. A single to the shortstop from Bridges put runners on the corners with one out. Lane Kennemore hit a grounder to the first basemen who made a throwing error trying to get Campbell out at home, giving the Panthers a 3-2 lead. Joseph Burke drew a walk to load the bases with one out and Brown knocked a sacrifice fly to left field to score Bridges and give Kentucky Wesleyan a two-run lead.
Alex Franzen pitched the final inning and had a runner on third but struck out the final two batters to give the Panthers the 4-2 victory.
Bridges, Brown and Kirkland each finished game one two-for-five at the plate while Cody Jackson finished two-for-four. Bridges led the Panthers with two runs scored while Brown led the way with two RBI's.
Ryan Hundley earned the start, striking out seven and allowing one run off of eight hits in 6.0 innings. Spencer Jackson picked up his first win of the season pitching 4.0 innings and striking out five while giving up one run off of five hits. Franzen earned his sixth save of the season, striking out two in 1.0 inning.
Game Two: Kentucky Wesleyan 2 – Malone 3
Kentucky Wesleyan's offense went cold in game two, tabbing just three hits in the first six innings and finding themselves in a 2-0 deficit.
The Panthers loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the seventh. Bridges drove in two runs with a double down the left field line, knotting the game at two.
Malone put two runners on with one out in the bottom of the seventh and won in walk-off fashion with a single to right center.
Zach Burton suffered his fourth loss of the season, pitching all 6.1 innings and giving up three runs off of eight hits while striking out two.
Bridges finished game two two-for-four at the plate, driving in both runs for Kentucky Wesleyan. Josh Galvan, Snodgrass and Campbell each recorded one hit.
The two teams will face off again on Sunday with a doubleheader set for 11 am CT.
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