MORGANTOWN, WV. – The Kentucky Wesleyan College baseball team dropped a pair of games to Fairmont State on Saturday afternoon. The Panthers fell in the opener 6-2 before FSU raced out to an early lead in the day's second game to win 13-5. The Panthers fall to 7-7 overall while the Falcons evened their record at 5-5.
The Falcons got runners on base early, and a double scored a pair in the bottom of the first inning. The Panthers bounced back with heads-up base running in the top of the second. A throwing error allowed
Tate VanHooser to score and cut the FSU lead in half. However, the Falcons added three runs in the bottom half of the inning to take a 5-1 lead.
Reece Davis drove in another run in the top of the six inning.
Isaac Rose picked-up a tough loss after five innings of work, allowing six runs, three earned runs with three strikeouts.
Bryant Byrd pitched the final inning, striking out two. VanHooser finished the opener with two of the Panthers' six hits.
The Falcons charged out to a 7-0 led in the bottom of the first inning, chasing
Ethan Ell out of the game early. The Panthers got on the board in the top of the fifth inning when
Liam Hutson drove-in a two runs with a triple.
Colson Perry followed with a single that scored Hutson,bringing the Panthers within 7-3.
A two-run double by the Falcons in the bottom of the fifth paused the Panthers' momentum as Fairmont State expanded its lead to 9-3. In the top of the sixth VanHooser led-off with a solo homerun over the left-field wall. Davis followed with a double and scored on
Elijah Stockton's RBI single.
A pitching change righted the ship for the Falcons as they got out of the sixth and added four runs in the bottom half of the inning to take a commanding 13-5 lead.
Perry finished the game three for four with an RBI. Hutson also recorded three hits in four plate appearances with a triple and two RBIs.
Chase Harlan bridged the gap for the Panthers with 4.1 innings of relief work, allowing two runs on six hits with two strikeouts.
The Panthers will complete the four-game series on Sunday with one game. First pitch at Dale Mille Park is scheduled for 11AM CT.
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