Canton, Ohio – The Kentucky Wesleyan baseball team (13-15, 6-6 G-MAC) took the first two of a four-game series vs. the Malone Pioneers on Thursday afternoon.
Game 1 was a pitcher's duel between the Panthers' Evan Oakley and the Pioneers' Jackson Phelps. Both had their best stuff, shutting out the opposition through the sixth inning.
After Oakley (W, 8.0 IP, 0 ER, 8 K) put up another zero in the top of the seventh, Wesleyan finally broke through in the bottom half. Braden Vinyard led off with a single, advanced to second on a wild pitch, and scored the game's first run on a Liam Hutson RBI single to put the Panthers on top 1-0.
Oakley came back out for the eighth and pitched around a bases-loaded jam to complete his fantastic outing. In the bottom half, seeing the Malone bullpen for the first time, Wesleyan was able to add another to their tally. Rhett Dysholm reached on an error, Reece Davis singled, and Tate VanHooser reached first on a double-play attempt to put two on with two outs. Cade Gudalis next came through with an RBI single to score Dysholm and double the Wesleyan advantage at 2-0.
Jacob Dilday came on for the save opportunity in the top of the ninth. The Pioneers (10-19, 2-12 G-MAC) were able to scratch one across using a sacrifice fly, but Dilday was able to slam the door shut from there and finalize the 2-1 triumph.
In Game 2, Malone got on the board first with a run in the first and a run in the fourth. Otherwise, Panthers starter Cole Peaslee (W, 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 10 SO) had a very strong outing to give Wesleyan a chance at a comeback.
That comeback came to fruition in the fifth. Elijah Stockton singled and advanced to third on a ground out and a wild pitch. Then, Hutson came through again with a single up the middle to drive in Stockton and cut the deficit to 2-1. Jase Mizell followed with another single and Dysholm took advantage with a single of his own to score Hutson and tie the game at 2-2. Finally, Davis continued his strong hitting with a double to left-center field that scored both Mizell and Dysholm and gave the Panthers their first lead at 4-2.
That was all the Panthers would need in the seven-inning affair. Peaslee threw a scoreless sixth and Josh Tucker followed with a three-up, three-down seventh to earn the save and lock down the 4-2 victory.
The two teams will play the final two games of the series in a doubleheader beginning at 9:00 AM tomorrow, Friday, April 4. Both games will be available to stream live on the Great Midwest Digital Network.
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