OWENSBORO, Ky. – The bats came alive in game two for the Kentucky Wesleyan College baseball team on Friday, allowing the Panthers to sweep a Great Midwest Athletic Conference doubleheader with Ohio Valley University.
Game One: OVU 6 – KWC 8
The Panthers struck first in game one, plating two runs in the bottom of the first. Joseph Burke and Cody Bridges both drove in a run with a base hit.
Ohio Valley responded with run in the top of the third before Wesleyan extended its lead to 4-1. Burke and Ostin Clark both hit solo home runs in the bottom of the third.
Five hits in the top of the sixth allowed the Fighting Scots to take a 5-4 lead, their first lead of the game. In the top of the seventh Ohio Valley plated one more run to take a two-run lead.
Wesleyan utilized two hits and one error to take back the lead in the bottom of the seventh. Cody Bridges and Lane Kennemore were both hit by a pitch to put two on with no out. Burke drove in Bridges with a single to left field before Kirkland laid down a sacrifice bunt and was safe on an error, allowing Kennemore to score.
With two outs and runners on second and third, Burke scored on a wild pitch. Cam Curry drove in the Panthers final run of the inning with a single to right field.
Burke finished three-for-three at the plate with three runs driven in and two scored. Ethan Maxey went two-for-three while Bridges, Clark, Curry and Ben Wilcoxson each tabbed one hit.
Ryan Hundley threw the opening six frames, striking out six and allowed five runs off of seven hits. Nate Verst picked up his first win of the season, throwing 2.0 innings and allowing one run off of two hits while striking out two. Alex Franzen earned his fifth win of the season, striking out one and holding the Fighting Scots scoreless in 1.0 innings.
Game Two: OVU 1 – KWC 11 (7 innings)
With two on and two out in the bottom of the first, Clark ripped a single to left field and a fielding error by the left fielder allowed both Bridges and Burke to score, giving Wesleyan an early 2-0 lead.
The Fighting Scots got on the board in the top of the third with their one and only run of the game but the Panthers offense produced nine runs over three innings to pull away for the win.
Clark hit a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth for his second dinger of the day. Back to back doubles from Curry and Jake Carter plated the Panthers fourth run before Bridges drove in Carter with a single through the left side to put Wesleyan ahead 5-1.
In the bottom of the fifth the Panthers tacked on one more run on a solo shot from Burke, his second home run of the day.
With two on and one out in the bottom of the sixth, Bridges cleared the bases with a triple to right center. The junior scored on a dropped fly ball hit by Kennemore. Still with one out, Burke blasted a two-run home run to centerfield, his third home run of the day to cap off the 11-1 win for Wesleyan.
Sammy Holder picked up his sixth win of the season in a complete game performance, holding the Scots to one run and six hits with just one walk.
Clark finished game two four-for-four at the plate with two runs driven in and one run scored. Bridges went three-for-four with three runs driven in and two scored. Burke finished two-for-three with three runs scored and three runs driven in.
The two teams square off in the series finale on Saturday at 12 pm CT.
Stay up to date on all your Panther news by following @KWCpanthers on Twitter and by liking the "Kentucky Wesleyan College Athletics" Facebook page.
