CANTON, Ohio – The Kentucky Wesleyan College baseball team suffered a pair of losses at Malone on Sunday in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference series finale, being held to two runs and eight hits. With the two defeats, the Panthers move to 14-17 overall and 3-5 in conference play.
Game One: Kentucky Wesleyan 1 – Malone 4
In a 2-0 deficit, Cody Jackson led off the top of the sixth with a shot over the fence in right center, breaking up the no-hit bid with his fourth home run of the season. The Panthers had two on and one out but were able to tie the game at two.
Malone scored two more in the bottom of the frame to take a 4-1 lead entering the final frame. Adam Brown led off the seventh with a double to center field and reached third on a wild pitch but a pop fly and strike out would end the game.
Mitchell Jones suffered his sixth loss of the season, striking out four and allowing four runs off of six hits and three walks in 5.0 innings. In 1.0 inning of relief, Nate Verst struck out one and held the Pioneers hitless.
Cody Bridges, Nathan Stemle, Brown and Jackson all went one-for-three in game one.
Game Two: Kentucky Wesleyan 1 – Malone 14
It was déjà vu in game two, with the Panthers tabbing their first hit of the game off of a home run. This time it was Brown in the fourth inning for his team-leading fifth home run of the season.
Brown's blast put Kentucky Wesleyan within one run after the top of the third but Malone pulled away with 12 runs off of 13 hits over the next three innings.
Sammy Holder pitched 3.1 innings, striking out four and allowing six runs off of 10 hits in 3.1 innings pitched. Verst came in for 1.1 innings, striking out one and giving up five runs. In 1.1 innings, Ryan Bailey allowed three runs off of three hits. Matt Lasley pitched the final two innings, striking out one and holding the Pioneers scoreless.
Brown was the lone Panthers to tab multiple hits in game two, going two-for-three at the plate. Josh Galvan and Seth Campbell recorded one hit a piece.
The Panthers return home this week to host Davis & Elkins in a four-game weekend series with a doubleheader set for 12 pm CT on both Friday and Saturday.
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