GREENVILLE, Ill. – The Spalding University baseball team opened SLIAC play Saturday afternoon splitting a doubleheader winning the first game 4-0, but fell 3-2 in the nightcap.
The Golden Eagles scored four runs on five hits to take the first game, 4-0. The Golden Eagles are 4-4 overall and 1-1 in conference play.
Drew Beckmann led Spalding at the plate going 1-for-2 driving in an RBI.
Kam Bruner and
Blake Patterson also drove in a run apiece.
Senior captain
Ryan Mosby (1-0) earned his first win of the season confining the Panthers to two hits, while striking out two in a complete game shutout.
With one out in the second, Patterson drove in
Brad Speek with a sacrifice fly to right field that also advanced
Korie Vire to third. Beckmann followed with a single to third base bringing Vire across the dish to give SU a 2-0 lead.
After three scoreless innings, Spalding added two runs in the sixth inning to stretch their lead to four runs.
Nic Chafin doubled to lead-off the inning, and
Jacob Woodruff reached and advanced to second on a throwing error by the pitcher that allowed Chafin to move to third.
Kam Bruner reached on a fielding error allowing Chafin and Woodruff to score to make the final score 4-0.
In the second game, SU scored two runs in the second inning, but gave up two in the seventh and a Josh Wheeler walk-off double downed the Eagles, 3-2.
Again, Beckmann led SU going 1-for-3 with an RBI, and Patterson drove in a run with a sacrifice fly.
Freshman
Josh Exton (1-1) took the loss, allowing three runs on seven hits, while striking out seven batters and walking two.
In the second, Speek led off the inning with a single to right field, Vire was hit by a pitch and
JR Belt singled to third base to load the bases with no outs. Back-to-back sacrifice flies by Patterson and Beckmann brought in Speek and Vire to give SU a 2-0 lead.
Greenville scored two runs in the seventh inning to knot the score at 2-2. A Ryan Smith single to right brought Trevor Montgomery across the plate, and Dalton McFarland followed with a shot to right scoring Ryan Smith to tie the game.
With two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Exton hit McFarland with a pitch and raced around the bases to score on Wheeler's double down the left field line to steal one for the Panther's.
The Golden Eagle Nine will be back in action Sunday, March 22 hosting a doubleheader against Centre College at 4:00 p.m. EST.
