MASON, Ohio – The Kentucky Wesleyan College baseball team suffered its first loss of the 2019 Great Midwest Baseball Championship on Friday afternoon, falling 5-3 to the No. 7 seed Tiffin University Dragons.  The Panthers will play in an elimination game at 5 pm CT on Friday against the winner of the Ohio Dominican versus Lake Erie match up.

The Panthers trailed 5-0 in the eighth inning as their offense couldn't find its stride.  A solo home run and four one-run singles plated the five runs for the Dragons.

Wesleyan made some noise in the eighth inning with Lane Kirkland leading off the inning with a double off the wall in right field.  Pinch hitter Ethan Maxey drove in Kirkland with a double of his own before Reece Puckett kept the training rolling with a triple off the wall, scoring Maxey.  Lane Kennemore hit a fly ball to left for the first out of the inning, but Puckett was able to tag up on the play, making it 5-3.

The game-tying run stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the ninth but Wesleyan was unable to complete the comeback.

Cam Curry went 5.0 innings in his third loss of the season, striking out two and allowing three runs off of seven hits.  Ryan Hundley threw 1.1 innings, holding the Dragons scoreless.  Nolan Johnson faced two batters in the seventh before Alex Franzen closed out the final 2.2 innings, allowing four hits and one run.

The Panthers await the winner of Ohio Dominican versus Lake Erie.  Wesleyan will face that winner in an elimination game at 5 pm CT on Friday.