OWENSBORO, Ky. – The Kentucky Wesleyan College baseball team kept rolling on Thursday, picking up a pair of wins over Cedarville University in their final doubleheader of the regular season. The Panthers improve to 26-19 overall and 16-9 in the G-MAC with their eighth straight victory.
Game 1: CED 6 – KWC 7
Cam Curry drove in the first run for the Panthers with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the second. In the next frame, Ben Wilcoxson, Cody Bridges, Lane Kennemore and Joseph Burke tallied back-to-back-to-back-to-back singles to plate two more runs for Wesleyan. Andrew Kirkland grounded out but was able to drive in Kennemore to put Wesleyan ahead 4-0 after three.
With runners on the corners and two outs, Burke laid a single down the left field line to bring home Bridges. Kennemore took advantage of a wild pitch to extend the lead to 6-0.
The Yellow Jackets got on the board in the top of the sixth with back-to-back doubles. Wesleyan responded in the bottom of the frame with a sacrifice fly from Burke.
Cedarville strung together four hits to plate four runs in the top of the seventh. With two on and one out in the top of the eighth, a RBI single made it a one run game. The Yellow Jackets threatened to tie it up with two runners in scoring and one out but Alex Franzen struck out the side and retired all five batters faced to hold on for the 7-6 win.
Ryan Hundley picked up his fifth win of the season, striking out six and allow five runs off of nine hits in 6.2 innings. Nate Verst threw 0.2 innings, striking out one while giving up one run and two hits. Franzen picked up his sixth win of the season, striking out three and not allowing a base runner in 1.2 innings.
Burke finished game one three-for-four at the plate while Bridges, Kennemore, Kirkland, Curry and Ethan Maxey each tallied two hits. Burke led the Panthers with two runs driven in while Bridges led the offense with three runs scored.
Game 2: CED 7 – KWC 15 (7 innings)
The Yellow Jackets struck first in the night cap, taking a 2-0 lead in the top of the first.
Wesleyan plated seven runs in the bottom of the second after tallying just three hits. Wilcoxson drew a walk with the bases loaded before two wild pitches allowed Curry and Jake Carter to score. Kennemore lined a triple down the right field line to score Wilcoxson before scoring on a passed ball. Ostin Clark capped off the inning with a two-run home run to left field, giving Wesleyan a 7-2 lead.
Cedarville responded in the top of the third with a lead off double that eventually scored on a wild pitch but the Panthers kept stride in the bottom of the fourth, tallying six runs. A throwing error on the Yellow Jackets allowed Kennemore to score before Clark drove in Burke with a single to center field. Cody Jackson hit a fly ball to right field, deep enough for Kirkland to score. With the bases loaded Bridges drew a walk before Kennemore was hit by a pitch. Wilcoxson scored the final run of the inning on a passed ball.
Clark kept things going in the bottom of the fifth, crushing his 11th home run of the season, a solo shot to left field to give Wesleyan a 14-3 lead. Wilcoxson plated the Panthers final run in the sixth, scoring on a wild pitch.
The Yellow Jackets made things interesting in the final inning, piecing together three RBI singles to cut the deficit to eight runs but Wesleyan held on for their eighth straight win.
Sammy Holder improved to 7-3 on the season after throwing 6.0 innings, striking out four and allowing three runs off of eight hits. Mitchell Jones returned from injury to pitch 0.1 innings, giving up three runs off of two hits. Kyle Matter threw the final 0.2 innings, allowing one run but recording both outs via strikeout.
Kennemore finished game two three-for-three at the plate with two runs scored and two driven in. Clark went three-for-four with four driven in and three scored.
The two teams square off in the series finale at 10 am CT on Friday at Panther Park.
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