OWENSBORO, Ky. – The Kentucky Wesleyan College baseball team wrapped up their first Great Midwest Athletic Conference series on Monday, dropping the second game of the series before taking the final two games. Devin Smith and Zach Burton were dominant on the mound, holding the Storm to one run in the final two contests.
Game 2: LEC 9 – KWC 7 (12 innings)
The second game of Sunday's doubleheader was suspended due to darkness and resumed Monday morning in the 8th inning, tied at seven. In the 12th inning, Lake Erie plated two runs off of three hits to take the game 9-7.
Taylor Soper suffered his first loss of the season, striking out four and allowing two runs off of four hits in 4.1 innings. Ian Ellis threw the final 0.2 innings, striking out one and allowing one hit.
Game 3: LEC 0 – KWC 3 (7 innings)
Devin Smith went the distance for his second win of the season and first complete game shut out as a Panther. The junior struck out six while not allowing a walk with three hits dispersed over 7 innings.
Wesleyan scored all three runs in the first innings off of three hits. Brayden Sisson led off with a walk before Lane Kennemore laid down a bunt to put two on with no outs. Joseph Burke drove in Sisson with a double to deep left field. Cam Curry brought home Kennemore and Burke with a single to the gap in left center.
Kennemore finished two-for-three at the plate while Sisson, Burke and Curry each tallied one hit.
Game 4: LEC 1 – KWC 10
The Panthers offense put up 11 hits in the series finale, the most of the series. Wesleyan plated three runs in the third, all with no outs. Sisson started things off with a single through the left side, driving in Reece Puckett before Burke knocked a single to left, driving in two.
Lake Erie got one run back in the top of the sixth to make it a two-run game. In the bottom of the frame with two on and two outs, Sisson sent a rocket over the left field fence for his first home run as a Panther, putting Wesleyan ahead 6-1.
The final four runs were scored in the bottom of the eighth. Puckett and Burke both recorded RBI doubles. It took two pitches for Burke to score, advancing to third on a wild pitch and scoring on a passed ball.
Burton went 7.1 innings in his first win of the season, striking out six and allowing one run off of four hits. Nolan Johnson faced one batter in the eighth, forcing him into a fly out. Joey Lara closed out the final 1.1 innings, striking out one and allowing one hit.
Burke finished the game three-for-five at the plate with four runs driven in and one run scored. Kennemore and Sisson both went two-for-five and scoring two runs. Sisson drove in four runs. Puckett finished two-for-two with three runs scored.
The Panthers continue G-MAC play this weekend, hosting Hillsdale College in a four-game series on Saturday and Sunday.
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