ADRIAN, Mich. – The No. 7 Davenport baseball team produced two wins with different outcome. But the Panthers' 12-1 game one, 3-1 game two win at Siena Heights Friday was enough to keep the pressure on first-place Northwestern Ohio in the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference standings.
 
Davenport (42-6, 23-4 WHAC) still has one more loss than the Racers with six games remaining. UNOH will play a four-game series with third-place Madonna Saturday and Sunday. The Panthers meet the Saints (18-25, 12-17 WHAC) one more time Saturday at 1 p.m.
 
Brendan Bender had four hits and RBI each, including a double and a two-run homer in game one. The senior threw five innings in game to earn his sixth win of the season.
 
Game 1 – Davenport 12, Siena Heights 1 (7 Innings)
The Panthers only needed the two runs they produced in the first inning to claim game one. Connor Seymour opened the game with a walk, Bender hit a one-out single to right and Matt Priebe scored the first run by hitting into a groundout. Bender scored the go-ahead run on Zack Sardellitti's base hit up the middle.
 
Bender opened the third inning with a double to right center and Sardellitti was hit by the pitch to put two runners on. Jordan Zylstra copied off Bender's at-bat to bring in the designated hitter from second and Brandon Cable hit an RBI ground out to give the Panthers a 5-1 lead.
 
Davenport put the game out of reach in the fourth when it scored three runs, highlighted by Bender's two-run home run to right.
 
Corey Murphy (6-3) snapped out of a funk and picked up his sixth win by throwing six innings. He scattered the lone run on four hits.
 
Game 2 – Davenport 3, Siena Heights 1
Davenport had to somewhat grind it out to get its first run in the fourth inning. Seymour drew a leadoff walk, advance to third on Zac Wilson's base hit to right and scored on the left-hander Bender's sacrifice fly to opposite field.
 
Although the Saints answered back with a run of their own in their half of the frame, it was their defensive mistakes that allowed the Panthers to regain the lead and add an insurance run. Once again, Seymour drew a walk, advanced to second on Zylstra's sacrifice bunt and scored on a fielding error by the first baseman. Sardellitti drove in the third run with a base hit to right.
 
Bender surrendered the one run on two hits in the third but was solid the rest of the way. Jonathan Cheshire went the rest of the way to pick up his 10^th save of the season.
 
Baseball Contact: Rick Hoskin | 616-871-6180 | rhoskin@davenport.edu
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