Canton, Ohio – The Kentucky Wesleyan baseball team (20-18, 10-10 G-MAC) swept their doubleheader against Malone on Monday to clinch the series win and climb back to .500 in the conference.
After a scoreless first by starter Cole Peaslee (W, 5.2 IP, 3 ER, 9 SO) in game one, the Panthers offense went to work in the top of the second. Rhett Dysholm led off with a double and Colson Perry ripped an RBI single to drive in Dysholm. After Logan Molnar reached on a fielding error, Davin Yates later came up and tallied his own RBI single to extend KWC's advantage to 2-0.
Malone (17-18, 6-14 G-MAC) got one back in the bottom of the second before a scoreless third frame for both teams. In the top of the fourth, Tucker Hagan singled and Liam Hutson walked to set up Jacob Riegel, who came through with a double to plate Hagan and put the Panthers back up two at 3-1.
In support of Peaslee's strong start, the Panthers offense had a big inning in the top of the fifth to put Wesleyan firmly in control. With two outs, Perry was hit by a pitch and Molnar singled up the middle to put two on for Hagan. The first basemen then scorched a double to left field to drive in both runners before Yates earned another RBI with a single up the middle that allowed Hagan to score and increased Wesleyan's advantage to 6-1.
In what was a scheduled seven-inning battle, the Panthers took that 6-1 lead into the bottom of the sixth. In the Pioneers' turn at the plate, the home team managed to put two runs on the board to make things interesting headed into the final inning. Jacob Dilday came on for Peaslee and was able to limit the damage.
Dilday (1.0 IP, 2 R, 0 ER, 1 SO) stayed on for the seventh. The Pioneers traded two outs for two runs, pulling within one with just one out to play with as head coach Todd Lillpop called on closer David Castelberry to record that coveted final out. Castleberry (S, 5) needed just five pitches to do so, striking out the final Pioneers to finalize the 6-5 victory.
Hagan was the star of the show with three hits, one double, and two RBIs. Yates had the other multi-hit day for the Panthers with two hits and two RBIs.
If you enjoy high-scoring baseball, game two was for you. Dysholm singled to lead off the second before an error allowed Ellis Hurt to reach and put two on with no outs. A balk allowed both runners to advance a base before Hagan put the ball in play for an RBI groundout. Molnar followed with his own RBI groundout as the Panthers took advantage of the error and headed to the bottom half up 2-0 once again.
Malone again got one back in the bottom of the second, but Wesleyan's offense had a loud response in the top of the third to back starter Noah Cook (W, 4-2). Hutson reached on a wild pitch strikeout and both Riegel and Ratliff walked to load the bases with one out. Dysholm continued his stellar weekend with a two-RBI single and Hagan later tripled to right-center to plate two more runs for KWC, extending their advantage to 6-1.
In the top of the fourth, Wesleyan leaned on their momentum and added three more runs to their tally. Yates doubled and Hutson walked to force the Pioneers' starter out of the game, but a double play immediately secured two outs for Malone. Ratliff came up next and launched a home run down the left field line, his third of the season, to put the Panthers up seven at 8-1. Dysholm recorded another hit with a single and scored on Ellis Hurt's RBI double to cap off the inning and add a ninth run to the KWC ledger.
Malone earned two runs in the bottom of the fourth, but the Panthers again had a perfectly-timed response in the top of the fifth. Luke Renfrow lifted a solo shot over the center field wall, his fourth home run of the year, to make the score 10-3 before KWC put together two more runs in the inning, highlighted by RBI singles from Riegel and Dysholm.
Over the next three turns at the plate, MU scored five runs to pull within four at 12-8. In the top of the eighth, the Panthers took advantage of another error to gain even more breathing room at 13-8 thanks to singles by Hurt and Molnar.
The Pioneers simply ran out of innings, scoring a run in each of the eighth and the ninth in Wesleyan's eventual 13-10 triumph.
Dysholm completed a season-best weekend with four hits and three RBIs in the win. Hurt also had a multi-hit game to add to Ratliff and Renfrow's home runs. Weston Miller and Zach Taylor each logged scoreless innings in relief of Cook before Castleberry closed out the final two frames.
The Panthers are back on the diamond this weekend for an in-state rivalry series versus Thomas More in Crestview Hills, Kentucky, from April 18-19. All four games will be streamed live on FloCollege.
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