HARTSVILLE, S.C. – The season could not have started fast enough for the Kentucky Wesleyan College baseball team. The Panthers jumped all over the Coker College on Friday in the season opener. Wesleyan took game one of the double-header 17-7. The Cobras produced one big inning on the day and it helped them come away with a split, winning game two 6-3.
 
Game 1: Coker 7, Wesleyan 17
Lane Kennemore started the contest with a lead-off double. Two batters later, Kennemore scored on Joseph Burke's triple. The Panthers (1-1) produced three extra base hits in the opening, the final blow coming off the bat of Brayden Sisson who doubled-in Burke.
 
The lead grew to 5-0 in the second innings as Reece Puckett started a perfect day at the plate with an RBI triple. Kennemore added another run with an RBI double, his second consecutive double to start the season. Burke followed with his second extra-base hit of the day, a double to left that plated Kennemore.
 
Wesleyan was unable to find the brakes as they scored in the first six innings of a seven-inning affair. The Panthers scored twice more in the third inning, before putting-up a five spot in the fourth to extend their lead to 12-0.
 
The Cobras (3-3-1) scored a single tally in the bottom of the fourth and fifth. Chris Johnson did not need much run support as he picked-up the win after five innings of work. Johnson allowed two runs on five hits with seven strikeouts.
 
Puckett finished four for four with a double, triple, a walk and two RBIs. Both Burke and Sisson each recorded a double and triple in the opening contest as well. The Panthers finished game one with 11 extra base hits. Cameron Curry was two for five with a homerun and three RBIs.
 
Game 2: Wesleyan 3, Coker 6
The Cobras got one good swing off of game two start Ryan Hundley, a three-run double in the bottom of the second inning. The Cobras led 5-0 after two innings. Curry got Wesleyan on the board in the top of the fourth with an RBI single. Ethan Maxey gave the Panthers another run with a RBI single in the sixth.
 
Coker led 6-2 after six innings. Ostin Clark made it a three-run game after a two-out RBI single in the seventh. The tying run came to the plate in the inning, but Curry flied out to left to capped things off.
 
Kennemore finished the game three for four while Sisson was two for three with a run scored. Hundley pitched four innings, allowing five runs on five hits with two strikeouts. Both Sisson and Kennemore collected five hits in the two games.
 
The Panthers will look to take the series on Saturday with two more seven inning games on the docket. First pitch is scheduled for 11 AM CT.