The Kentucky Wesleyan College baseball team utilized late inning dramatics to pick-up a Monday sweep of Walsh University. The Panthers walked-off both games and took the Great Midwest Athletic Conference series 3-1. The Panthers took the day’s opener 4-3 and ended the series with an 11-10 win. Reece Puckett scored the winning run in both games while Ike Speiser recorded a pair of wins in relief.
Austin Baugh was in the midst of a pitcher’s dual in the day’s opener. Both pitchers hung zeros on the Panther Park scoreboard through the first three innings. The Cavilers (5-8, 3-4 GMAC) stuck first as an error and walk prolonged the fourth frame with two-outs. A two-out single scored the first run of the game.
In the sixth, the Cavs connected with a two-run homerun to extend the lead to 3-0. Kyler Werries brought in two runs with a single as the Panthers (4-16, 4-4 GMAC) were within 3-2. Speiser got out of a bases loaded, one-out jam in the top of the seventh to further add to the late inning dramatics.
The Panthers instantly tied the game in the bottom of the seventh as Sammy Rowan led off the inning with a solo homerun over the centerfield fence. With one-out Puckett stepped to the plate and ended the game with one swing of the bat, another solo homerun, this time over the left field fence.
Baugh received a no-decision after pitching six innings allowing three runs, two earned with six strikeouts. Puckett was two for three with a triple, homerun, and an RBI.
The Panthers started the series finale, right where they left off as Werries clubbed a two-run homerun in the bottom of the first inning. Wesleyan added another run in the second and Robert Chayka drove in a fourth run in the fourth to give the Panthers a 4-0 lead.
Walsh tied the game with four runs in the fifth, but the Panthers answered in the bottom half. Rowan tripled-in a pair of runs while Puckett added another with a sacrifice fly to put the Panthers up by three, 7-4. The Cavs retook the lead with two-runs in the sixth and two more in the eighth.
Jaret Humphrey stepped to the plate in the bottom of the eighth with two-on and two outs. Humphrey recorded the only hit in the frame, a massive three-run homerun over the centerfield fence. The Panthers held a 10-8 lead going into the ninth, but an error allowed the tying run to come to the plate, in the form of pinch hitter Austin Marko. Marko delivered a game-tying two-run homerun.
However, there were still more dramatics at Panther Park as Puckett doubled with two-outs in the bottom of the ninth. Chayka worked the count back into his favor and lined a single in to left to drive-in the game-winning run.
Puckett was two for four with a double, stolen base and two RBIs. Both Chayka and Cade Gudalis recorded two-hit games. Speiser was awarded the victory with one inning of relief.
The Panthers will travel to Cedarville, Ohio on Friday to play the Yellow Jackets. First pitch in the four-game series is scheduled for 11 a.m.
