Midland, Mich. – The Kentucky Wesleyan baseball team dropped the first two of a four-game set at Northwood on Thursday afternoon.
The Panthers offense got going early behind their ace, Evan Oakley, in Game 1. Liam Hutson led off the game with a single, Rhett Dysholm doubled to put two on with just one out, and Reece Davis continued his hot hitting with a single through the left side to score both Hutson and Dysholm to put Wesleyan up 2-0.
Northwood didn't wait long for a response. Using a triple and three singles, the Timberwolves scratched across two runs in the home half of the first to tie the game at 2-2.
Both starters kept the offenses quiet for the next few frames. Later, in the top of the fourth, Tate VanHooser singled and stole second to set up Braden Vinyard, who singled up the middle to drive in VanHooser and put the Panthers back on top at 3-2.
Oakley (7.0 IP, 4 R, 3 ER, 9 K's) was cruising along heading into the bottom of the seventh, but Northwood was able to use a leadoff walk and a crucial error to grab the lead at 4-3 going into the final two frames.
The Panthers (11-12, 4-4 G-MAC) just couldn't put anything together offensively, and after the Timberwolves added another run in the bottom of the eighth to double their advantage at 5-3, Wesleyan went down in order in their final chance at the plate.
Game 2 was not quite as close. The Panthers again scored in the top of the first, this time on a Davis RBI double to score Hutson after the latter led off with a single, but that would be the only run Wesleyan could muster through the first six innings.
Northwood (15-10, 10-0 G-MAC) exploded with three runs in the first, one in the second, four in the third, three in the fourth, and one in the sixth to grab complete control at 12-1. The Panthers used a walk by Michael Chaney, a Timberwolves error, and an Owen Stevenson double to add three to their tally in the top of the seventh, but the home team was able to close out Game 2 and snag a 2-0 series lead.
Wesleyan will look to split the series tomorrow, Friday, March 29. The doubleheader will begin at 12:00 PM and will be streamed live on the Great Midwest Digital Network.
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