HAMMOND, Ind. – Davenport baseball left no doubt on Friday in their GLIAC opening games at Purdue Northwest. The Panthers (16-5) defeated the Pride 14-2 in game one and followed that with a 21-6 game two win in which both games ended in seven innings. The Panthers extended their win streak over the Pride to five games and had the largest margin of victory in the all-time series in game two.
Keegan Batka improved to 5-0 on the season in game one and got plenty of run support. He went six innings and allowed three hits and two runs with two walks and a season-high eight strikeouts. Davenport trailed 1-0 in the first inning, but that didn't last long as they scored three times in the second inning and never trailed again.
Dylan Pawenski hit his sixth home run of the season to get DU on the board at 2-1.
Sam Clay had himself a day with a career-high five RBI. He had a sacrifice fly in the second inning, an RBI double in the fourth inning, and a three-run homer in the fifth inning which gave DU a 12-2 lead.
Xander Reisbig drew a bases-loaded walk for a RBI in the fifth and drove in two more runs with a long ball in the sixth inning. It was his first home run of the season and he ended the game 2-for-2 with two walks, four runs scored, and three RBI. Pawenski ended the game going 3-for-3 with four runs scored and two RBI.
Zach Hopman homered in the fourth inning to drove in two runs and also drew a walk.
Davenport scored four runs in the first inning in game two and never looked back. They scored seven times in the fifth inning to increase their lead to 15-3. They also scored in six of the seven innings and collected 17 hits. The Panthers had six doubles, a triple from
Michael Tchavdarov, and three home runs.
Justin Johnson had two doubles going 3-for-5 with three runs scored. Hopman finished 2-for-4 with three runs scored and three RBI. He banged a three-run jack in the big fifth inning.
Clay homered in the seventh inning, a two-run shot, which gave DU a 19-6 lead. He went 2-for-5 with two runs scored.
Travis Liford pinch hit in the seventh inning and went back-to-back homers with Clay. It was his first homer as a Panther.
Coltrane Rubner ended the game 2-for-3 with three runs scored, two walks, and two RBI. Tchavdavov and Reisbig drove in three runs in the nightcap.
James Geshel picked up the win on the mound for the Panthers improving to 2-2. It was his first win in his last four starts and lasted five innings. He allowed six hits and three runs with three walks and five strikeouts.
Brayden Flanders finished the final 1.2 innings and allowed no hits and runs with two walks and three strikeouts.
