OWENSBORO, KY. – The Kentucky Wesleyan College baseball team split two games with Cedarville on Friday afternoon. The Panthers took the opener 5-2 before the Yellow Jackets made a late inning comeback in game two, 7-5. Devin Smith allowed just two hits in seven innings en route to his third win of the season.
 
GAME 1: CED 2, KWC 5
Smith rolled through the first three innings with four strikeouts and only one baserunner. The Panthers (19-7, 16-2 GMAC) took the lead in the third as Robert Chayka led off the frame with single. Ben Wilcoxson followed with a double that plated the first run of the game. Cody Bridges drove-in Wilcoxson with a single and Wesleyan was on top 2-0.
 
Wilcoxson was in the middle of another scoring rally in the sixth inning as he drove-in Brayden Sisson with a double into right centerfield. With runners on second and third, Bridges scored two more runs with a double into right field.
 
That was more than enough run support for Smith and the Panthers as the Yellow Jackets (14-16, 11-11 GMAC) scored two runs in the ninth. Smith went seven innings allowing three hits while striking-out nine. Rylan Thomas pithed the final two innings. Bridges finished two for five with three RBIs. Chayka was two for two while Wilcoxson also collected two hits, including a double and two RBIs.
 
GAME 2: CED 7, KWC5
The Panthers took a quick 3-0 lead in the bottom of the second. They only needed one hit in the frame as Reece Puckett coaxed a bases-loaded walk to score the first run. Wilcoxson followed with a sacrifice fly to add another run. The three-run inning ended with Bridges ripping an RBI single into centerfield.
 
The Yellow Jackets tied the game on three-run homerun in the fourth, but the Panthers answered right back in the bottom of the fifth. Bridges led-off with a triple and Lane Kennemore followed by getting hit. Both Bridges and Kennemore scored on two separate pass balls that returned a lead to the Panthers, 5-3.
 
Cedarville rallied in the top of the sixth to score four runs on three hits. The Panthers had runners in scoring position in each of the final two innings but could not force more baseball. Bridges finished two for four with a triple and RBI.
 
The Panthers are scheduled to play two more games on Saturday afternoon. First pitch at Panther Park is scheduled for 1PM.
 
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