TIFFIN, OH – The Kentucky Wesleyan College baseball team gave
Evan Oakley ample run support on Friday afternoon, lifting the Panthers to an 18-8 win over Tiffin University. Game two of the day's doubleheader went into extra innings and was suspended due to darkness tied at 5-5 after 10 innings.
Oakley making his sixth start of the season, earned his fifth win. The bats came alive for the Panthers (9-9) early.
Braden Vinyard drove in the game's first run with a double in the second inning. Vinyard later scored on
Elijah Stockton's RBI single, giving the Panthers a 2-0 lead. A sacrifice fly in the bottom of the second cut the Panthers' lead in half.
Reece Davis returned a two-run lead to the Panthers in the third with an RBI single. Wesleyan then busted the game open with a six run fourth inning. Back-to-back errors and a walk allowed the Panthers to put two runners in scoring position with one-out in the fourth.
A pair of wild pitches allowed two runs to cross the plate. Davis drove-in another with a double while
Cade Gudalis added a run with an RBI single through the left side. Vinyard ended the rally with a sacrifice fly. The Panthers added five more runs in the fifth. Wesleyan continued to take advantage of Tiffin errors as Vinyard capped off the frame with a two-run double to rightfield.
The Dragons trailed 14-5 after five. Oakley pitched six strong innings to earn his fifth win of the season. He allowed six hits while striking-out eight. The Panthers capped off the game with
Rhett Dysholm and
Jase Mizell each hitting two-run homeruns in the sixth and eighth innings respectively.
Vinyard was two for four with two doubles and four RBIs. Mizell finished game one three for four with a double, homerun and two RBIs.
In game two, the Dragons scored two runs in the bottom of the third inning, but the Panthers answered with three in the top of the fifth.
Tate VanHooser drove in two with a double down the left field line. Tiffin tied the game with a run in the bottom half.
An error allowed the Panthers to score in the eighth, but the Dragons answered in the bottom half. Gudalis drove-in a run in the top of the ninth to give the Panthers a 5-4 lead, but again Tiffin tied the game in the bottom half. In the 10
th, Vinyard was thrown out at home to keep the game tied. In the bottom of the 10
th, the Dragons had runners in scoring position, but back-to-back strikeouts from
Jacob Dilday ended the threat.
The game will resume on Saturday morning. Upon completion the Panthers and Dragons will complete the four-game series. Play will resume tomorrow at 10:30AM CT.
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