MASON, Ohio – The Kentucky Wesleyan College baseball team won its fourth elimination game of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference Tournament, handing Hillsdale College their first loss of the season to force a winner take all Championship game. The Panther offense went cold in their seventh game in four days, falling 15-2.
Game One: KWC 13 – Hillsdale 9
The Panthers started where they left off in last night's elimination game against Walsh. Joseph Burke popped his 22nd homerun of the season over the left-field fence in the top of the first. In the second inning Cody Bridges doubled the lead with RBI single through the left side of the diamond.
The Chargers answered back in the second, scoring a run a cutting the Panthers' lead in half. Andrew Kirkland got Wesleyan back in the scoring column in the third with a no-doubt two-run homerun. After a scoreless fourth, Burke was at it again in the fifth. The inside pitch was no match for the slugging first baseman who pulled another shot over the left field fence, giving the Panthers a 5-1 lead.
Hillsdale was not finished either and by the end of seven innings held a 9-7 lead. Dante Toppi returned the lead to the Chargers with a three-run homerun over the centerfield fence. Burke tied the game in the eighth with a two-run single. The Panthers loaded the bases thereafter and Cody Jackson and Levi Tanner coaxed walks to establish a 11-9 lead. An error by the Chargers on Ben Wilcoxson's grounder gave Wesleyan two more runs and 13-9 lead.
Joey Lara pitched the final 2.1 innings to earn his third win of the season. Lara allowed one hit while striking out two. Burke finished the game three for four with two homeruns, three RBIs, and five runs scored.
Game Two: Hillsdale 15 – KWC 2
The Chargers jumped out to an 8-0 lead after two innings and went on to score in every inning but the last to secure the title.
Cody Jackson put the Panthers on the board in the bottom of the fourth with a solo home run to left center for his first home run of the season. Wesleyan tacked on another run in the fifth on a RBI single to center field from Burke.
Sammy Holder took his fourth loss of the season. The Panther pitching staff of Holder, Chris Johnson, Spencer Jackson, Taylor Soper, Allen Howe and Kyle Matter combined for five strikeouts.
Lane Kennemore and Cody Jackson both went two-for-three at the plate while Burke finished two-for-four.
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