LAKELAND, Fla. – The Kentucky Wesleyan College baseball team stunned Florida Southern on Thursday, taking both games of the doubleheader. The Panthers pounded a trio of home runs in the game one to win 14-4 before posting an extra inning win in game two, 4-3.
Game 1: KWC 14 – Florida Southern 4
Cam Curry got things started early on, belting a two-run home run in the first to put the Panthers on the board. Ben Wilcoxson led off the third with a single before stealing second and reaching third on a wild pitch. Brayden Sisson drove in Wilcoxson with a sacrifice to deep centerfield.
With two on and two out, Reece Puckett laid down a fly ball in right field, scoring Ethan Maxey and Cam Curry. Chase Andrews brought Puckett home with a home run to left center, capping off a five-run third inning for the Panthers.
The Mocs put a run on the scoreboard in the bottom of the third but Wesleyan responded with another five-run inning. Joseph Burke sent a bomb over the left field fence for his second home run of the week, a three-run shot. With two on and two out, Andrews cleared the bases with a fly ball to right field, giving the Panthers a 12-1 lead.
Florida Southern strung together three hits in the bottom of the fourth to plate two runs before three scoreless innings kept the score at 12-3 in favor of Wesleyan.
The eighth inning saw the final two runs for the Panthers. Puckett tabbed a sacrifice fly before Burke scored on a passed ball. Two doubles in the bottom of the frame scored a run for the Mocs before Bo Robison sealed the victory with a three up, three down bottom of the ninth.
Chris Johnson picked up his second win of the season, throwing 7.1 innings with 10 hits, 4 runs and 5 strike outs. Robison threw the final 1.2 innings, allowing just one hit.
Andrews finished game one three-for-four at the plate with four RBI's. Burke, Wilcoxson and Kiah Gledhill both recorded two hits while Burke and Puckett each finished with three RBI's.
Game 2: KWC 4 – Florida Southern 3 (8 innings)
In what was scheduled for seven innings, it took the Panthers a little extra to pull away with a win. Florida Southern took an early lead after a solo home run in the bottom of the first, which ended up being the only hit for the first three innings of play.
Sisson led off the fourth, lacing a double down the right field line. Two batters later, Sisson scored on a passed ball, knotting the game at one.
Andrews drew a walk to start the fifth and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Cam Chapman. Three straight walks for the Panthers plated one run before Burke hit an infield single, giving Wesleyan a 3-1 lead.
Two hits and an error allowed the Mocs to tie the game once again in the bottom of the fifth. Florida Southern threatened in the bottom of the sixth, loading the bases with two outs but Joey Lara locked in and dialed up a strike out to end the inning.
Both teams went three up and three down in the seventh to force extra innings.
With runners on first and second with two outs, Lane Kirkland hit a hard groundball to second that was bobbled, allowing Andrews to score from second and giving Wesleyan a 4-3 lead. Alex Franzen entered in the bottom of the eighth, throwing nine strikes on 11 pitches and tabbing two strikeouts to seal the win.
Zach Burton took a no decision in his third start of the season, going 5.1 innings with three hits, three runs and two strikeouts. Joey Lara picked up his second win of the week, going 1.2 innings with three strikeouts and one hit. Franzen earned his second save, striking out two in 1.0 innings.
Burke and Andrews both went two-for-three in game two. Andrews finished the day five-for-seven at the plate with four runs driven in and three runs scored. Burke went four-for-eight with three runs scored and four driven in.
The Panthers close out the series with Florida Southern with a single game on Friday with first pitch set for 3 pm CT.
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