March 16, 2010

Box Score

MT. PLEASANT, Mich. - Seven runs in the opening two innings were too much to overcome as the Davenport baseball team fell to NCAA D1 Central Michigan in Mt. Pleasant on Tuesday afternoon. The loss, the third straight and fifth out of their last six games, drops DU to 6-10 on the year.

Playing their second NCAA D1 opponent of the year seemed to get to the Panthers early on as starting southpaw Tucker Gernhard (Stafford, Va.) was tagged for seven runs on six hits while walking two and hitting one.

DU's offense did come back strong in the middle frames as the Panthers got two in the top of the third when James Folske (Mt. Pleasant, Mich.) scored after a walk and Matt Collins (Akron, Ohio) came around after reaching on an error. Austin Licon (Rockford, Ill.) brought both home with a 1-out double to left center.

Davenport got within just three runs after plating one in the top of the 5th (run scored by Collins) and one more in the top of the 7th (Joe Hill run).

The pitching after Gernhard exited in the top of the 3rd carried DU in the comeback as Zak Gonzalez (Comstock Park, Mich.) threw four outstanding innings but ran out of steam in the bottom of the seventh when the Chippewas added four runs to their lead to make it 11-4.

DU did get one more run in the top of the 8th when Mitch Pike (Rockford, Mich.) scored after singling to left field. DU managed five runs on seven hits but gave up 11 on 14 hits and the Panthers were responsible for three errors.

DU drops to 6-10 on the year and they will travel to Indiana on Friday to take on Marian University before going to Cumberland, TN for a three game set against one of the elite NAIA programs in the country in Cumberland University.