OWENSBORO, KY. – The wind was blowing straight out at Panther Park on Thursday afternoon as the Kentucky Wesleyan College baseball team picked-up a pair of wins over Cedarville University. The Panthers won the opener 17-13 behind a tremendous performance from
Brandon Valdez. Wesleyan took a 6-0 lead in the first inning of game two and never look back as
Evan Oakley earned his fifth win of the season.
The Yellow Jackets (10-29, 5-17 GMAC) scored two unearned runs in the top of the first inning of game one, but the Panthers (16-23, 10-12 GMAC) answered in the bottom half of the inning with
Brandon Valdez driving in the first Wesleyan run of the contest with a double. Valdez later scored in the frame on a throwing error that tied the game.
Back-to-back homeruns in the top of the second gave Cedarville a 6-2 lead, but Valdez tied the game again in the bottom of the inning. This time Valdez connected on a grand slam over the centerfield fence.
Seth Wright put-up a pair of zeros in the third and fourth innings as the Panthers took control in the bottom of the fourth.
Aric Lyons drove-in the first of four runs in the frame with an RBI single. He later scored along with
Braxton French on Valdez's two run double.
Bryce Zupan added another run in the frame with a single.
Trailing 10-6, the Yellow Jackets scored three times in the fifth, pulling within one run.
Sammy Rowan collected the big hit for the Panthers in the sixth as his single up the middle drove in the final two runs in the three-run frame.
Zach Curtis did the same in the seventh as he capped off a three-run frame with a two-run single into centerfield.
Josh Tucker pitched the final 1.2 innings to prevent any further rallies by Cedarville and earn his third save of the season. Valdez finished the game four for five with a homerun, two doubles, and eight RBIs. Both Lyons and French recorded three hits for the Panthers at the top of the order.
Evan Oakley was given a 6-0 lead after the first inning of game two. The Panthers batted around as
Kyle Werries started the six-run frame with a two-run double. Werries homered to the opposite field in the bottom of the second to build a 7-0 lead for the Panthers.
Cedarville did give the Panthers some tense moments as they scored four runs in the third and fifth innings to pull within 9-8. The Panthers rebuilt a five-run cushion in the fifth as French and Valdez hit back-to-back run scoring doubles that contributed to a four-run frame.
Brayden Bush pitched the final two innings to close out the game for the Panthers. Oakley pitched four innings, allowing seven runs on eight hits with five strikeouts. Werries was three for four with a homerun, double, triple, and four RBIs.
The Panthers are scheduled for two more games against the Yellow Jackets on Friday, weather permitting. First pitched at Panther Park is scheduled for 12PM.
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