SAN ANTONIO, Fla. – The Kentucky Wesleyan College baseball team was back in action on Friday afternoon with two more games against St. Leo University. The Panthers fell in the day's doubleheader 19-11 in the opener and 12-8 in the night cap.
The Panthers (4-11) were first to score on Friday afternoon.
Brandon Valdez singled with one out and quickly stole second base. He would later score on
Kyle Werries RBI double to give Wesleyan a 1-0 lead. The Lions (10-9) behind the strength of the opening inning took a 7-1 lead. SLU scored seven runs on seven hits to chase starter
Isaac Rose from the contest.
The Lions would add five more runs in the bottom of the second to move one top 12-1. The Panthers would add two runs of their own in the top of third inning. Valdez and
Zach Curtis each recorded an RBI in the frame, but the Lions answered with two more runs in the bottom half.
In the later innings the Panthers would narrow the gap.
Bryce Zupan would drive in two with a single in the sixth as
Aric Lyons also notched an RBI later in the frame. In the seventh,
Braxton French started the five-run frame with an RBI single. Zupan and Lyons would strike again as Zupan drove in two with a single and Lyons' double plated two more runs.
The Panthers ran out of innings as the line started to get moving.
Nick Wimber was three for four with a double and run scored.
In the second game, the Lions would again race out to an early lead, building a 10-1 advantage after five innings.
Jaret Humphrey would lead-off the seventh with a single and move into scoring position after a French double. Successive groundouts would plate both runs as the Panthers cut the deficit to 10-3.
Humphrey would drive in another run in the eighth with a sacrifice fly. The Panthers would again find some late-inning offense as they would score four time on six hits in the ninth, leaving the bases loaded to end the game.
French would finish the game three for five with a double. Werries, Wimber,
Cade Gudalis, and
Justin Lauersdorf would all record two hits in the game.
The Panthers will finish the four-game set against St. Leo on Saturday. First pitch is scheduled for 12 PM CT.
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