CANTON, OH - The Kentucky Wesleyan Baseball team opened conference play strong on Saturday, taking down Malone by scores of 14-11 and 3-0.
With the wins the Panthers improve to 3-15 (2-0 G-MAC), while Malone falls to 3-12 (0-2 G-MAC).
Game One
The opener started off well for the Panthers, as
Tate VanHooser hit an RBI single in the first inning to quickly put the Panthers up 1-0. Malone answered, going up 5-1 after three.
The top of the fourth saw Wesleyan score six runs on four hits, going up 7-5.
Ryan Trokey opened with a 2 RBI single, and
Cade Moore followed with a three run bomb to left field.
Kyle Werries closed out the scoring with an RBI single to score
Noah Davis.
The Pioneers tied things up in the fifth, but another Werries RBI in the sixth and a
Braden Vinyard solo shot in the seventh allowed the visitors to re-take the lead. Two runs in both the eighth and ninth innings gave Wesleyan all the insurance runs they needed.
Kyle Werries had a phenominal day at the plate, going 5-for-6 with three RBI's.
Noah Davis was 2-for-4 with three runs scored, while
Ryan Trokey was 3-for-4 with two RBI's and a run scored.
Josh Tucker (1-2) got the win while Bryan Byrd (S, 1) struck out four and got the save.
Game Two
The second game was the polar opposite of the first, as the teams combined for just 10 hits and three runs, compared to the 32 hits and 25 runs in the opener.
Luckily for the Panthers, all three runs came for them in the sixth inning.
Braxton French scored on a balk, and
TJ Williams and
Ryan Trokey scored on a error a few batters later.
Evan Oakley (1-4) pitched a complete game shutout, allowing just four hits and striking out eight batters.
The Panthers will be back tomorrow for two more games against Malone. First pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m. CT.
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