GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Davenport baseball team turned in two different results when it played Cornerstone on a chilly Tuesday afternoon. About the same time as the Panthers learned it moved up two spots to No. 6 in the latest NAIA Top 25 poll, they were rolling to a 13-2 mercy win over the Golden Eagles in game one. But in game two, Davenport had to rally from a two-run deficit and hang on to a 3-2 win over its crosstown rivals to complete the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference sweep.
 
Ryan Manning had five hits and three RBI on the day to lead the Panthers in the lineup. Connor Seymour tallied four hits and drove in two runs.
 
Game 1 – Davenport 13, Cornerstone 2 (7 innings)
Reigning WHAC Pitcher of the Year Corey Murphy had a solid performance on the mound, striking out seven in six innings of work. He also allowed six hits and an earned run in the fourth. In addition, he did not issue a free pass.
 
Davenport (22-2, 8-0 WHAC) scored all the runs it needed for the win in the first inning with the help of a Cornerstone (8-15, 1-5 WHAC) mistake. Manning led off with a single to second, Brendan Bender was hit by the pitch and Matt Priebe drew a walk to load the bases. With two away, Jordan Zylstra sent a pitch to left center but the centerfielder couldn't hold on to complete the putout and it allowed all three runners to score.
 
One inning later, Cam Cooper hit a one-out single and Dre Celestijn would earned a free pass to first to setup a two-run triple to right center by Bender. The Panthers would go on to score an unearned run in the fifth and four more in the sixth to take a 13-2 lead.
 
Game 2 – Davenport 3, Cornerstone 2
Jerry Ferris (4-0) held the Golden Eagles scoreless the first two innings but ran into trouble in the third that allowed Cornerstone to score two runs.
 
The Panthers answered back in their half of the inning. Celestijn had a leadoff walk, advanced to second on a passed ball and scored on Cooper's single up the middle. Priebe would tally an RBI single through the left side to score Zylstra from second later in the inning.
 
Davenport took the lead the next inning when Seymour hit a leadoff double down the left field line, advanced to third on Nolan Wilson's sacrifice bunt and scored on Celestijn's sacrifice fly to center.
 
Ferris would take the Panthers into the fifth inning allowing seven hits and two walks. Jonathan Cheshire went the rest of the way allowing a hit and his first walk of the season for his seventh save.
 
Davenport's homestand concludes over the weekend with Lourdes visiting the Farmers Insurance Athletic Complex Saturday and Sunday. First pitch is 1 p.m. on both days.
 
Baseball Contact: Rick Hoskin | 616-871-6180 | rhoskin@davenport.edu
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