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LAKE WALES, Fla. – The Davenport baseball team scored the go-ahead run in the eighth inning but a ninth-inning rally lifted Warner to a 6-5 win in the Panthers first game in Florida Monday afternoon. The Panthers fall to 3-5 on the year while the Royals improve to 5-12.
 
Michael Allen and Carlos Berroa each recorded base hits for the Panthers while Edward Grochowalski Jr. hit a monster two-run double in the second.
 
In his second start of the season, Drew Sain received a no-decision after 5.2 innings of work. He allowed four runs across on seven hits and two walks but punched out five batters. Ryan Butzer (0-1) took over and threw two solid innings but had a bit of trouble in the ninth.
 
The Panthers jumped on the board immediately in the second inning. Allen and Berroa opened the frame with back-to-back singles to set up Grochowalski's two-run double to the left field fence.
 
But the Royals answered back in their half. Sain walked the leadoff hitter and although he retired the next two batters, the Royals used a single and a double to bring their first run of the game across. Warner would tie the game two runs apiece on Sain's wild pitch.
 
After Warner got a run in during the third inning, the Panthers evened the score in the fourth. Allen led off with a single through the left side and after courtesy runner Andrew Kawam stole second, Ryan Manning hit a grounder to the right side where the second baseman bobbled it and the error allowed Kawam to even the score 3-3.
 
The Royals took a 4-3 lead in the sixth but the Panthers found a huge momentum in the eighth. After Jotham Woo reached on a fielder's choice, he stole second base before Allen hit a fly to right but the right fielder's dropped error allowed Woo to score from second. Davenport had a golden opportunity to do serious damage with runners on second and third and two out, Manning singled up the middle to allow Kawam to score an insurance run.
 
But the Panthers couldn't hold on to the insurance run as the Royals used three base hits, two intentional walks and a fielding error to score two runs to beat the Panthers.
 
The Panthers will head to Daytona Tuesday to play Embry Riddle under the lights for a 6 p.m. first pitch.
 
Post-Game Quotes – Pitching Coach Eric Lawrence
 
On Drew Sain and Ryan Butzer's performances – “I thought the pitchers threw well today. We had a lot of first-pitch strikes, got ahead of guys a lot. We gave up four walks and one hit by batter. We tried to lower the runners on base and it was accomplished. We threw pretty well.”
 
On the ninth inning – “It was the first big game Ryan has had this year. It was a little different. You get into a nice environment, the crowds cheering them on, and it was the bottom of the ninth with the bases loaded. He got a little rattled but that's good. He's going to grow from that.”
 
On if the team's bonding is starting to work in Florida – “I think so. It's just starting off. We got nine games left so hopefully we can come together and do something special here.”
 
 
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