NASHVILLE, Tenn. – In a rematch of the 2017 Great Midwest Athletic Conference Championship, the Kentucky Wesleyan College baseball team couldn't find a spark in its offense, suffering a loss in both games of the doubleheader against Malone University.
Game 1: Malone 9 – KWC 1
Malone tallied two hits in the top of the third to jump out to a 2-0 lead. In the bottom of the fourth,
Ostin Clark led off with a home run to left field, cutting the deficit to one with his fourth home run of the season.
The Pioneers extended their lead to 7-1 after stringing together five runs off of six hits over two frames. A pair of RBI groundouts in the top of the ninth scored the final two runs.
Cody Bridges finished two-for-four at the plate in game one while Clark,
Andrew Kirkland and
Ben Wilcoxson tallied one hit apiece.
Ryan Hundley threw 5.1 innings in his first loss of the season, striking out six and allowing six runs off of six hits.
Nate Verst tossed the final 3.2 innings, striking out two and allowing three runs off of six hits.
Game 2: Malone 4 – KWC 0 (7 innings)
Malone wasted no time getting on the board in game two, scoring one run in the top of the first. In both the first and second inning, Wesleyan's lead off batters led off with a hit but were unable to execute.
In the top of the third Malone went up 2-0 with a sacrifice fly to left field.
Sammy Holder pitched a one-two-three inning in the top of the fifth to put momentum on the Panthers side but the Pioneers took it right back with a pair of runs in the top of the sixth. Wesleyan was unable to record a hit in the final four frames.
Bridges, Kirkland and
Lane Kennemore all went one-for-three in game two while Burke was two-for-three.
Holder suffered his first loss of the season, throwing 6.0 innings and allowing four runs off of seven hits with four strikeouts.
Taylor Grider pitched the final inning in one-two-three fashion.
The Panthers finish the week with a doubleheader against Walsh University on Saturday at E.S. Rose Park in Nashville, Tenn. with first pitch slated for 11 am CT.
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