AUBURNDALE, Fla. – The sunshine was signaling the start of the spring season and the Davenport baseball team made their way to the middle of Florida for the first day of the spring trip. The Panthers had a split of two games against Gannon University on Sunday losing game one 8-2 and then rallying for a 11-3 win in game two.
Game 1
The turning point in game one was the bottom of the sixth inning as DU had a 2-1 lead and then exited with a 8-2 deficit.
Grant Wolfram pitched five strong innings but hit a rough patch in the sixth. He allowed three straight singles to start the inning and then
Sam Traver made his first appearance as a Panther. He was roughed up including yielding a three-run homer and a solo shot.
Pete Zeimis finished the inning on the mound and struck out the only batter he faced.
Davenport trailed 1-0 but then scored runs in the fifth and sixth innings.
Austin Petravicius had a RBI single in the fifth and
Noah Marcoux reached on a fielder's choice for another RBI in the sixth. The Panthers had chances to tack on runs but stranded eight runners. Wolfram took the loss giving up four runs on five hits while striking out four and walking three. Matthew Yough came into relief for Gannon in the sixth and got the win facing four batters.
Petravicius went 2-for-3 with a walk and a double.
Zac Wilson went 2-for-4 with a run scored and a double.
Jacob Buchberger went 1-for-2 with a walk.
Game 2
Andrew Click gave his team a quality start to earn the split against the Golden Knights. He tossed five innings and gave up three runs on eight hits with five strikeouts and three walks.
James Rogers pitched two scoreless innings in relief allowing just one hit with four strikeouts and a walk.
DU scored in five of their six at-bats including four runs in the third and fourth innings to break the game open. DU collected 11 hits and went errorless for the game. Yough took the loss for Gannon allowing three runs on two hits with two walks. Wilson,
Brian Sobieski and
Anthony DiPonio each left the yard for DU. Wilson finished 3-for-4 with three RBI as he doubled in the first, RBI single in the fourth and solo homer in the sixth. Sobieski had one hit but it was huge with a three-run bomb to left in the third. DiPonio walked in the second and fourth and led off the fifth with a solo shot.
Nolan Bryant batted leadoff with a run and sacrifice fly.
Alex Huard scored three times batting second in the lineup and playing third base.
Austin Lansky went 2-for-3 with a run scored and had a double.
The Panthers will be playing Embry-Riddle (6-5) on Monday in Daytona Beach starting at 6 p.m.
