OWENSBORO, Ky. - The Kentucky Wesleyan baseball team (17-17, 7-9 G-MAC) yet again split their doubleheader versus Cedarville on Tuesday, ultimately winning two of four against the Yellow Jackets.

Cedarville (13-19, 7-9 G-MAC) opened the day with a run in the top of the first against Panthers starter Cole Peaslee (L, 4 ER, 7 SO), but the redshirt junior settled in and blanked the Yellow Jackets over the following three frames.

KWC managed to knot the score in the bottom of the third. Liam Hutson worked a one-out walk and Jacob Riegel singled to put two on for Baron Ratliff. The junior came through with his own single to plate Hutson and tie the game at 1-1. 

That was all the offense the Panthers could put together in the first game of the day. Cedarville scored three runs in the fifth and chased Peaslee from the game before adding three more runs against the Wesleyan bullpen in the seventh in their eventual 7-1 win. 

In game two, Ratliff made a nice play in right field to double up the Yellow Jackets and help starter Noah Cook (W, 6.0 IP, 4 ER, 1 SO) post a zero in the first. The KWC offense, quiet over the previous two games, immediately changed that tune in their turn at the plate. 

Hutson led off with a walk, Riegel singled, and Ratliff walked to load the bases with no outs. Dysholm followed with a sacrifice fly to score Hutson, and Hurt did the same to drive in Riegel and put Wesleyan up 2-0. Ratliff then stole second and third before Hagan singled to plate Hagan and send KWC to the second with a three-run advantage. 

The Yellow Jackets got two runs back in the top half of the second, but the Panthers broke the game wide open in the bottom half. Luke Renfrow was hit by a pitch and both Stockton and Hutson worked walks to again load the bases with no outs. Riegel delivered another sacrifice fly to score Renfrow before Ratliff followed with another walk to yet again load the bases heading a pitching change for Cedarville. 

After the change, Dysholm immediately doubled down the right field line to drive in two more runs for Wesleyan and make the score 6-2. Hurt followed with another two-RBI hit to increase the Panthers advantage to 8-2, and he later scored on a wild pitch to stretch their lead to 9-2 after just two innings. 

The Panthers plated four more in the third inning, taking advantage of several walks by the Cedarville bullpen. Riegel had a big two-run single and Hagan added another sacrifice fly to the Wesleyan ledger as KWC led 13-2 after three frames.

CU scored two runs in the fourth and three in the sixth to grab the momentum headed into the seventh. Wesleyan, needing just four runs in their turn at the plate to force the run-rule, did just that. Ratliff started the big inning with a double, Dysholm reached on an error, and Hurt walked to load the bases with just one out. A passed ball and two wild pitches, all back-to-back-to-back, allowed three more runs to score before a Renfrow single up the middle later plated the final two runs for the Panthers in the 18-7 victory.

Wesleyan totaled 12 walks in the triumph, with Hutson recording four and Ratliff earning three to highlight the effort. Riegel and Hagan each had two hits, and all of Riegel, Dysholm, and Hurt had three RBIs.

The Panthers next head on the road for their next two series, first traveling to Canton, Ohio, for a four-game set against Malone this weekend. All four games will be streamed live on FloCollege for fans to enjoy.

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