CALEDONIA, Mich. – The bats were on display on Tuesday (Mar. 26) in a non-conference contest against cross-town opponent Aquinas College. The Panthers beat the Saints 11-8 and pounded out 10 hits including three home runs to improve to 13-7 overall.
How it Happened: Davenport scored early and often in the first three innings building a 10-1 lead. DU scored four times in the first, twice in the second and four more times in the third.
Kamrin Markwardt drove in the first run of the game on an infield single.
Travis Harvey followed with a two-run single through the right side for a 3-0 lead.
Hunter Ruhstorfer also drove in a run on a groundout to third.
In the second inning,
Gaetano Vallone drew a walk and then
Jacob Buchberger hit a two-run blast to left for a 6-1 advantage. In the third inning, Markwardt walked to lead off and Harvey homered to right as pinch runner
Cobe Huizenga scored ahead of him for an 8-1 lead. Ruhstorfer then was on third with two outs when Buchberger left the yard again to left for a 10-1 lead.
The Saints did not fold and responded with four runs of their own in the fourth to make it 10-5.
Josh Bobel was on the mound when four runs were scored but just two were earned runs. Bobel went 1.2 innings and gave up six hits.
Duncan Gillett was very effective as the third pitcher for the Panthers. He got his first win at Davenport going 2.1 innings and allowing two hits and no runs with a strikeout.
The Panthers scored their 11th run in the sixth to lead 11-5.
Alex Huard tripled to lead off the inning and
Noah Marcoux scored him on a sacrifice fly to center. The Saints added a run in the seventh off
Cole Sanderson and two more in the eighth off
Sam Traver. Aquinas put runners on first and second with one out in the ninth, but Traver got a double play ball to end the game.
Game Notes: Buchberger went 2-for-2 with three runs, two home runs and four RBI before being replaced by
Damion Pompey. It was the 11th time in school history someone had a multi-homer game and the second time for Buchberger (Eckerd on 2/27/18). Harvey set his season-high with four RBI and finished 2-for-3 with a stolen base (5-of-5 this season). The Panther pitching staff allowed just two walks and struck out five. It was the fewest walks in a game since Mar. 1 against Malone. DU is now 10-3 when they score first this season and 3-4 when the opponent scores first.
On Deck: Davenport (13-7, 1-3 GLIAC) will be back in GLIAC action on Friday, Mar. 29 as they travel to #17 Ashland (19-3, 4-0 GLIAC). The Eagles are riding a 10-game win streak and are looking for a reversal of fortune after the Panthers won all five meetings last season, including an 8-4 win on a walk-off, grand slam by Buchberger in the GLIAC Tournament in Detroit to eliminate the Eagles.
