OWENSBORO, KY. – The Kentucky Wesleyan College baseball team lost a back-and-forth battle in Saturday's open against Hillsdale 7-6. The Panthers extracted some revenge in the second game of the double-header with a 5-3 win over the Chargers.
 
GAME 1: Hillsdale 7, KWC 6
The Chargers (14-12, 10-8 GMAC) scored a run in the second and a run in the fourth to take a 2-0 lead. The Panthers (16-6, 13-1 GMAC) took the lead in the bottom of the fifth with three runs in the frame. Hillsdale hit Ben Wilcoxson who immediately scored on Cody Bridges' double down the leftfield line.
 
Bridges stole third and scored on Lane Kennemore's single to left. The Panthers manufactured another run in the frame to take a 3-2 lead. The Chargers retook the lead in the sixth with a two-run double. A three-run homerun in the seventh extended the lead to 7-3.
 
Wesleyan answered back in the bottom half of the seventh with three-runs. The big blow being a two-run, two-out double to right off the bat of Jaret Humphrey. The Panthers had the tying run in scoring position in the ninth, but the Chargers stranded Reece Puckett at second.
 
Devin Smith took the loss after six innings of work allowing four runs, three earned on seven hits with eight strikeouts. Bridges finished two for four with a double and RBI.
 
GAME 2: Hillsdale 3, KWC 5
In the second game the Panthers gave CJ Fairchild an early lead with three-runs in the second inning. Bridges, Hunter Combs, and Wilcoxson each drove-in a run in the frame. Hillsdale added their first run of the game in the top of the third, but the that was erased in the bottom of the fourth.
 
Chase Andrews drove-in a run in the fourth with single. The lead grew to 5-1 in the sixth as Wilcoxson scored on Bridges' single into left. The Chargers cut the deficit in half in the top of the seventh with a two-run homerun and followed with a one-out double, bringing the tying run to the plate. Fairchild ended the game with a ground-out and foul-out to record the win.
 
Fairchild recorded his fifth win of the season with a complete game. He allowed three runs, two earned on 11 hits with three strikeouts. Combs finished the game two for three with an RBI.
 
The Panthers will host two more games against the Chargers on Sunday. First pitch at Panther Park is scheduled for 11 AM.
 
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