SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The Davenport baseball team picked win No. 1 this season and did so against a quality opponent in Illinois-Springfield. The Prairie Stars took game one of the series yesterday and are currently No. 5 in the Midwest Region (NCBWA).
The Panthers trailed 1-0 after an error in the first inning allowed UIS to open the scoring.
Michael Tchavdarov hit a solo homer to left in the second inning to tie the game and his next at-bat delivered a RBI single to right for a 2-1 lead. The Panthers would score three times in the third inning as
Anthony Aloisio had a RBI single and
Xander Reisbig recorded a sacrifice fly.
UIS scored once in the third on a Jackson Blemler RBI double and again in the fourth on a fielder's choice as Jacyk Uehling. DU clinging to a one-run lead switched the momentum in the sixth with four big runs to take an 8-3 lead.
Sam Clay started it with a RBI single and then
Coltrane Rubner followed with another RBI single.
Josh Robinson then drove in two runs on a double to right.
Tyler Mosher was able to tack on another run in the ninth with a RBI single to center. Rubner finished 3-for-5 at the plate. Tchavdarov finished 3-for-5 with a run scored and two RBI. Reisbig also had multiple hits going 2-for-3.
Jerad Berkenpas improved to 1-0 and got his first win at DU on the mound. He lasted 5.2 innings and allowed four earned runs with no walks and three strikeouts.
Tyler Kapa and
Austin VandenBrink pitched 3.1 innings of scoreless ball in relief. Kapa struck out two and did not allow a hit in 1.1 innings. VandenBrink went two innings and struck out one with no hits allowed.
The two teams will play a doubleheader tomorrow beginning at 12 PM ET.
