CALEDONIA, Mich. - The nail-biters keep coming for the Davenport baseball team as the top-seeded Panthers won their opening game in the Midwest Regional #1 on Thursday with a 7-6 victory over fifth-seeded Ashland. The Eagles earlier in the day lost to fourth-seeded Indianapolis 7-3 and have been eliminated from the regional. The format now becomes a best-of-three series between Davenport and Indianapolis. The first game between the two schools will be on Friday at noon from the Farmers Insurance Athletic Complex.
Davenport found themselves in a very comfortable position up 6-0 through four innings. However, the Eagles fought back with three runs in the top of the fifth to cut the deficit in half. Ashland would also add two runs in the seventh and then tie the game in the eighth at 6-6. Davenport once again found a way to win in their final at-bat in the eighth.
Sam Clay doubled down the right field line with two outs and
Coltrane Rubner doubled up the middle off the diving glove of Colton Hunt to score Clay with the winning run.
The Eagles put a runner on base with two outs in the top of the ninth, but
Mason Hill struck out Jeremiah Cangelosi swinging to end the game. Hill came into the game in the eighth with runners on second and third with one out. He hit the first batter he faced, but got a fielder's choice to tie the game and struck out Sean Krueckeberg looking to strand two runners on base. Hill was great out of the bullpen as DU's fourth pitcher and got the win (6-0). He tossed 1.2 innings and struck out four Eagles.
Adam Berghorst got the start for Davenport and lasted five innings. He yielded three runs on five hits with two walks and seven strikeouts. DU pitchers struck out 11 and walked four on the day. Hunter Allen got the start for Ashland, but was ousted after two innings. He gave up five runs on four hits with two walks and one strikeout.
Davenport would score all seven of their runs with two outs.
Chase Kemp had a RBI single to start the five-run second inning.
Michael Tchavdarov scored on a wild pitch and Clay had a two-RBI double for a 4-0 lead.
Xander Reisbig also had a RBI single up the middle for the 5-0 advantage. Rubner got his first RBI of the game with a double down the left field line in the fourth inning for the 6-0 lead.
The Eagles got a three-run home run by Krueckeberg in the fifth inning and Max Caron also had a two-run home run in the seventh inning. Clay extended his hit streak to 21 games and has reached base in 22 straight games. He went 3-for-4 with three runs scored and two RBI. Rubner went 2-for-4 with a walk and two RBI.
Cody Hultink was 3-for-4 with a run scored. For the season, DU is now 10-4 this season in one-run games.
