April 11, 2009
Game 1 Box Score Game 2 Box Score
WYOMING, Mich. - The Davenport University Panthers earned an exciting split this afternoon on the road against WHAC foe Aquinas College. It took extra innings for the Panthers to earn their win on the day, and Aquinas' win came after a bases loaded walk in the bottom of the seventh inning in the second game. The split brings the DU overall record to 25-15 and 5-5 in conference play.
First game action began quickly for the Saints as they jumped out to a 4-0 lead putting the DU bats in a hole quick. The Panthers would answer the call in the second and third innings scoring five runs to take the lead, but Aquinas would come right back with three runs to set the score at 7-5 in favor of the home team.
Davenport would start to pick away at the two run lead in the fifth inning as they got within one run heading into sixth. Good fortune gave DU the tying run as Brian Spykerman crossed the plate off a wild pitch to even the score at seven and put the pressure on the Saints. Aquinas would not be able to answer, sending the first game of the day to extra innings.
Unlike regulation, extra innings would be a defensive battle as both pitchers would keep the bats under control. The reliever, Jarrett Luyk, would dominate as he led the Panthers through the scoreless eighth and ninth innings.
Heading into the tenth, Davenport took the upper hand off the bat of James Folske as he brought home Brian Spykerman. After scoring one more insurance run, Jarrett Luyk held off the Saints for the 9-7 Davenport victory.
The final game of the double header began slower than the previous, as the first three innings yielded a score of 1-0 for the Saints. Derrick Gentile tied the game as he drove in Spykerman for the first Panther run of the game in the top of the fourth.
The game would feature great opportunities for the Panthers to take the lead, but the Saints defense remained strong to keep the game tied heading into the seventh. With the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh and the core tied DU would walk in the winning run to give each team a win in their first ever series.
With Easter Sunday giving both teams a break in action, the schools will meet again on Monday, April 13 to finish the weekend series at Sullivan Field. The first pitch of the double header is scheduled for 1:00pm.
