DAVENPORT, Fla. - The baseball team dropped a pair of games against Minnesota State Mankato on Saturday by one run to conclude their spring trip. The Panthers lost 5-4 in game one and 4-3 in game two and now six of the team's nine losses this season have come by one run.
Game 1
The Panthers took on the Mavericks who are receiving votes in the national poll.
Carter Troncin started the scoring with a RBI double to right center in the second inning. Both games were seven-inning contests.
Khale Showers gave DU a 2-0 lead in the third inning with a RBI double to right field. The Mavericks then would score the next five runs with three in the third and two more in the fifth inning. Troncin was at it again in the sixth inning with a solo home run, giving him a team-high four this season and it was 5-3. Showers gave the Panthers life in the top of the seventh as he had a RBI single after
Ben Mets led off with a double to left center. The next three hitters were retired however with the tying run stranded at second base.
Davenport registered 10 hits during the game as Mets went 3-for-4. Troncin and Showers also each had two hits in the game.
Carson Fischer took the loss on the mound but three of the five runs were earned. He allowed eight hits and walked three with four strikeouts.
Game 2
Minnesota State Mankato took control early with three runs in the first inning off
James Kohl. Kohl gave up a RBI triple to go along with another run given up on a wild pitch. The third run was a RBI double before the final two outs were recorded.
The Mavericks took a 4-0 lead in the top of the third as
Devon Nettles came into pitch in the second inning. He gave up a sacrifice fly before stranding two runners. The Panthers would score the next three runs to make things interesting late. Showers continued his good day with a RBI single in the third with two outs. DU scored twice more in the fourth as
Michael Tchavdarov doubled to start the inning and
Logan Hylek singled him to third.
Coltrane Rubner then delivered a two-run scoring double to left field.
DU left two runners on base in the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings. Troncin walked with one out in the seventh and Hylek singled to center with two outs. He stole second to put the winning run in scoring position, but Rubner flied out to center to end the game.
Davenport also had 10 hits in the nightcap as Tchavdarov and Hylek each had two hits.
Logan Bursick-Harrington had a strong relief appearance going three innings with one hit allowed and six strikeouts.
The team will begin a three-game weekend series at Indianapolis starting on Friday at 4 PM eastern time.
