GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Davenport baseball team scored all the runs it needed in the first three innings to defeat Viterbo (Wis.) 6-2 Sunday and complete the three-game non-conference sweep at the Farmers Insurance Athletic Complex.
 
The 13^th-ranked Panthers temporarily close their non-conference schedule 13-2 and will begin the program's first ever Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference title defense against crosstown rival Aquinas Wednesday at 2 p.m. at Davenport's campus. The two were originally scheduled to meet at the Saints' Kimble Stadium but the facility is not ready to play baseball.
 
Catcher Zack Sardellitti had a two-run double in the eighth for his only hit, Brendan Bender and Tyler Baratono both tallied two of the Panthers' dozen hits and a RBI to lead the Panthers.
 
Left-hander Corbin Clouse (1-1) held Viterbo (4-7) scoreless until the fourth inning when he allowed a double, a triple and a sacrifice fly to concede two runs. He finished the day throwing five innings with five hits and four strikeouts. Ryan Butzer and Alex Schuiling both tossed a hitless inning and Jonathan Cheshire surrendered only three hits in two innings of work.
 
Cody Greear led off the first inning with a single and moved to second on a ground out before coming home on Bender's single to center. Zac Wilson opened up the second inning with a walk, advanced to third on Baratono's hit to right center and scored on Conner Seymour's sacrifice fly to right.
 
The eventual winning run came in the third inning when Sardellitti drew a one-out walk and courtesy runner Matt Hoge moved to third on Ryan Manning's base hit and scored on Jordan Zylstra's sacrifice fly to center.
 
Davenport added another run in the fifth when Baratono hit a RBI single to center to bring in Cam Cooper.
 
Baseball Contact: Rick Hoskin | 616-871-6180 | rhoskin@davenport.edu
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