MILLINGTON, Tenn. - The Davenport baseball team opened up their 2023 season against Hillsdale and for the second straight year they lost a one-run game against the Chargers. After a 15-14 loss in 10 innings to begin 2022, this one was more cleanly played but the Chargers got enough early offense in a 5-4 win over the Panthers under low 50's temperatures on a neutral field in Tennessee.
Hillsdale greeted
Carson Fischer with three runs in the top of the first on a pair of hits. The first run scored on a wild pitch and then Lewis Beals hit a two-out, two-run homer to plate Aidan Brewer ahead of him for the 3-0 lead. The Chargers added another run in the second after a pair of one-out singles by Nick Stepke and Danny Passinault. A passed ball proved costly as both runners moved up a base and Cody Kancler had a RBI groundout to score Stepke with the fourth run.
Miko Rodriguez had a single in his first at-bat as a Panther in the bottom of the second but base runners were hard to come by against Will Gifford on the hill for Hillsdale. The next hit would not come until a
Tyler Mosher single with two outs in the bottom of the fifth. DU would get on the board with a run in that inning as Mosher's single drove in
Carter Troncin who reached on a strikeout with a wild pitch on the third strike. The Panthers loaded the bases for newcomer
Khale Showers who hit into a fielder's choice to end the inning.
Jack Snow replaced Fischer in the top of the sixth and fared well in his debut with the Panthers. He tossed a scoreless sixth and struck out the side tossed in with a walk to lead off the inning. The Chargers got one run off him in the seventh as Passinault hit a solo home run with one out on a 2-0 pitch for a 5-1 lead. Logan Simon replaced Gifford in the seventh and
Logan Hylek and Mosher had back-to-back singles.
Michael Tchavdarov had a one-out RBI single for his first as a Panther to make it 5-2.
Isaac Van Dyke came in for Snow after he walked the leadoff man in the eighth. Van Dyke ended the inning with a double play ball off the bat of pinch hitter Trey Haeger. Davenport scored twice in the eighth to get within a run at 5-4. It all happens with two outs as
Caleb Anspaugh doubled and pinch hitter
Josh Robinson walked.
Coltrane Rubner's first at-bat with the team next was a RBI single to score Anspaugh.
Gaetano Vallone reached on an error and Robinson scored the fourth run.
Van Dyke allowed just one hit in the top of the ninth to set up the bottom half. Hillsdale pitcher Zane Barnhart came into the game in the eighth and threw to two batters. He mowed down the Panthers to pick up his first save. Showers and
Ben Mets struck out followed by a walk to Rodriguez. The tying run was on first when Troncin struck out to end the game.
The top four batters in the lineup for Davenport went a combined 1-for-17 with six strikeouts. Rodriguez and Mosher each had two hits of DU's eight on the day. Fischer took the loss going five innings and allowing five hits and four earned runs. He walked one and struck out four. Snow lasted two innings and allowed one hit and one earned run with two walks and three strikeouts. Van Dyke also went two innings and allowed one hit and no runs.
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