Florence, Ky. – The Kentucky Wesleyan baseball team (21-19, 11-11 G-MAC) earned a chaotic Game 1 win before falling in Game 2 against Thomas More.
The Panthers sprinted out of the gates in Florence. Liam Hutson walked, Rhett Dysholm doubled, and Ellis Hurt reached on an error that allowed Hutson to score and put Wesleyan up 1-0.
After starting pitcher Evan Oakley put the Saints down in order, KWC added another run in the top of the second. Colson Perry singled, Logan Molnar was hit by a pitch, and Tucker Hagan walked to load the bases with no outs. Elijah Stockton came up next and worked his own walk to plate Perry and double the Panthers lead to 2-0.
Oakley again posted a 1-2-3 inning before Wesleyan broke the game open in the top of the third. Baron Ratliff and Dysholm launched back-to-back home runs to open the inning, extending the Panthers' advantage to 4-0. After two outs were recorded, both Molnar and Hagan ripped doubles and Stockton knocked a single to add two more runs to KWC's ledger.
That score held until the bottom of the fourth, in which the Saints scored their first two runs to shrink their deficit. Wesleyan immediately responded with two runs in the top of the fifth, highlighted by walks from Perry and Molnar and another double from Hagan.
The Panthers extended their lead to 9-2 in the sixth, but the Saints pulled within five after plating two more runs in the bottom half. KWC responded again with two of their own in the top of the seventh. Stockton tripled to lead off the frame before Hutson lifted a home run over the center field wall to put Wesleyan back up seven at 11-4.
TMU (15-21, 8-14 G-MAC) hit two home runs and scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh to make things interesting. The Panthers added a run in the top of the eighth, but the Saints tallied two runs in the bottom half and two more in the bottom of the ninth to send the game into extra innings.
In what turned into one of the best games in the G-MAC this season, Wesleyan was able to prevail with three runs in the top of the 10th. Dysholm led off with a two-run home run, his second of the game, to put the Panthers up two at 14-12. Later in the frame, Molnar tripled and Hagan registered his third double of the game to drive in Molnar and give KWC extra cushion at 15-12.
Josh Tucker came on to close out the game with the tying run on deck. Using a groundout, a flyout, and a strikeout, the junior did just that and capped off a wild triumph for the Panthers. KWC totaled eight extra-base hits in the victory.
Game two, originally scheduled for seven innings, also went to extra innings to lengthen a long day for both teams.
The Panthers got the scoring started on a Luke Renfrow solo shot in the top of the second, but the Saints responded with four runs in the bottom half to take an early 4-1 advantage.
Hutson and Ratliff were hit by pitches and Dysholm worked a walk to load the bases with just one out in the top of the third. Hurt came through with a single up the middle to drive in two runs and put KWC within one at 4-3.
Wesleyan tied the game in the top of the fourth, using a walk by Molnar, a single by Davin Yates, and stolen bases by both to scratch across another run.
That tied 4-4 score held until the top of the eighth. Riegel was placed on second as the automatic runner and Ratliff reached on an error to put two in scoring position with no outs. After Dysholm lined out, Hurt again came through with a single through the left side to drive in both runners and put the Panthers on top 6-4.
Unfortunately for the road team, the Saints had the final at-bat and took advantage with four runs in the bottom of the eighth. The rally was capped off by a three-run walk-off home run.
Hurt had the only multi-hit performance with three on top of four RBIs to lead the effort. Renfrow's home run was Wesleyan's only extra-base hit.
Starter Ethan Ell kept the Panthers in it with eight strikeouts in 5.0 innings while allowing four runs.
The Panthers have two more against TMU this Sunday, April 19th. First pitch is set for 12:00 PM and both games will be streamed live on FloCollege.
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