COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Kentucky Wesleyan College baseball team pushed its winning streak to five in a row on Friday by taking down Ohio Dominican 7-4 in the series opener. The Panthers started a four-game set with ODU, but the winning streak ended with a 3-1 loss in the day's second game. 
 
The Panthers (9-19, 7-7 GMAC) maintained their even record in Great Midwest action with a split on the day.  Seth Wright put together a sparkling performance in the series opener. Wright completed 5.2 innings, allowing three runs, all earned on five hits with five strikeouts. 
 
Wesleyan took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning on Ben Wilcoxson's groundout that scored Robert Chayka, who reached on an error to start the game. ODU then inflicted their own damage as hit batters, walks and wild pitches allowed three more runs to cross the plate in the third. 
 
The lone blemish on Wright's day was a three-run homerun by ODU in the sixth inning. Leading 4-3 in the seventh, Chayka and Wilcoxson led off the inning with back-to-back singles. Kyle Werries drove-in one run with a one-out single down the rightfield line. ODU answered in the bottom half with a run to pull back within 5-4. 
 
In the eighth a one-out single by Reece Puckett set-up Chayka who clubbed a two-run homerun and gave the Panthers some much needed insurance in the final two frames. ODU did bring the tying run to the plate in the ninth, but Ike Speiser closed the door with his second save of the week. 
 
Chayka finished the game two for five with a homerun, stolen base, and four runs scored. 
 
In the second game, ODU (9-15, 3-7 GMAC) took a 2-0 lead after two innings thanks to a sacrifice fly and solo homerun. The Panthers went into the fifth inning trailing 2-0 when Landon Moberly connected on his first homerun of the season over the leftfield wall. ODU returned the favor in the sixth with another solo shot to take a 3-1 edge into the final inning. 
 
Werries led-off the seventh with a double, but two strikeouts and a ground-out ended the game. Brayden Bush took a tough luck loss after 5.1 innings of work, allowing three runs on five hits with six strikeouts. 
 
The Panthers will play two more games against ODU tomorrow. First pitch is scheduled for 11AM CT. 
 
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