HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – The Kentucky Wesleyan College baseball team began its title defense on Friday, splitting their season opener at University of Alabama Huntsville.  The Panthers took the first game 4-3 before falling in game two 10-3.

Game One: KWC 4 – UAH 3
Ryan Hundley was locked in a pitchers duel with the two team combining for three hits over the first four innings.  Alabama Huntsville threatened in the bottom of the second with runners on the corners and no outs.  Hundley struck out the next two batters before the bases were loaded with two outs.  A groundout to the first basemen extinguished the threat.

The Chargers were the first score in game one, breaking open the pitchers battle with a three-run home run in the bottom of the fifth inning.  Chris Johnson drew a walk to lead off the top of the sixth then back to back singles from Cody Bridges and Lane Kennemore loaded the bases with no outs.  Andrew Kirkland continued the single streak, driving in Johnson.  Joseph Burke drove in Bridges with a sacrifice fly to centerfield.  Cam Curry drove in the final run of the inning with a single up in the middle to knot the game at three.

Sammy Holder kept the momentum on the Panthers side in the bottom of the sixth with the Chargers going three up and three down.  Ostin Clark ripped a double down the left field line to lead off the top of the seventh.  A sacrifice bunt from Levi Tanner put pinch runner Kiah Gledhill on third.  With two outs and the winning run 90 feet away, Bridges came through with a single up the middle, scoring Gledhill.

Holder continued to dominate over the next two frames, facing the minimum while striking out two.  Alex Franzen came in for the bottom of the ninth inning.  The game-tying run reached third base with one out but Franzen dug in for a strikeout and ground out to seal the win for the Panthers.

Bridges, Kennemore and Clark each finished with two hits in game one.  Sammy Holder picked up win, tossing 3.2 innings without allowing a hit and striking out three.  Hundley threw the first 4.1 innings, striking out five and allowing three runs off of four hits.  Franzen earned his first win of the season, throwing the final innings and striking out one.

Game Two: KWC 3 – UAH 10
The Panthers struck first in game two, scoring one run in the top of the third.  Kennemore drove in Ben Wilcoxson with a single to right center field to put Wesleyan ahead 1-0.

Alabama Huntsville opened up the game with eight runs in the next two innings to jump out to a 8-1 lead.  Wesleyan put a run on the board in the fifth inning with Wilcoxson scoring on a balk.  The freshman drove in a run two innings later with a sacrifice fly to centerfield.

Wilcoxson finished his collegiate debut with one hit, one RBI and two runs scored.  Kennemore, Kirkland and Clark tabbed on hit a piece.

Mitchell Jones suffered his first loss of the season, striking out three and allowing six hits and five runs in three innings.  Zach Burton, Nate Verst, Chris Johnson, Spencer Jackson and Taylor Soper each threw one innings, combining for seven strikeouts over the final five frames.

The Panthers return to action next weekend with a series against the University of Indianapolis.  The three-game series will be played at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Ky. with first pitch set for 1 pm CT on Friday.

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