LANSING, Mich. - All facets of the game did not click for the Davenport baseball team on Thursday as they dropped a 9-1 game to Purdue Northwest in the GLIAC Tournament. The second-seeded Panthers never led and saw the fifth-seeded Pride score eight runs in their final three at-bats to pull away for their biggest win over Davenport in the series history.

The Pride scored first with a run in the top of the third inning. Luke Montgomery had a one-out RBI groundout to second as Ethan Imlach scored the game's first run. The Panthers had their chances in the first two innings but stranded two runners on base in each inning.

Carson Fischer and Conor Pangburn dueled into the sixth inning and the Panthers tied the game with a run. Michael Tchavdarov tripled to right center with one out and scored on a wild pitch during Tyler Mosher's at-bat. One costly mistake ended the inning though as Mosher walked and was replaced by Logan Todd. Coltrane Rubner singled to left and the throw went to third where Todd was safe. The Pride though nabbed Rubner trying to take second to end the inning.

Fischer was removed in the seventh inning as Montgomery's RBI single made it 2-1. Spencer Vainavicz came on and Tyler Nelson had a RBI single to left as Fischer was saddled with the run to end his line at 6.1 innings, six hits, three earned runs, one walk and four strikeouts. 

DU went down in order in the bottom of the seventh against Sam Shively and then started tacking on insurance runs. They scored twice in the top of the eighth as Jonathan Sabotink homered off Cade Kontny to start the inning and Jayden Smith followed with a two-out RBI double for a 5-1 lead.

Alex Lord entered in the top of the ninth for DU and would surrender four runs with the big blow coming by Sabotnik with a bases-clearing triple for an 8-1 lead. Jack Snow came in and one inherited runner scored but he got the final three batters out including a strikeout.

Six different Panthers had one hit for the game and Tchavdarov's triple was the only extra-base knock. The Panthers (26-25) will now await the loser of Wayne State/Parkside for a 11 AM game tomorrow at Jackson Field in Lansing facing elimination.


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