LIBERTY - Drury pounded out a season-high 20 hits to defeat William Jewell 15-9 in the series finale Sunday, earning a split on the day and of their four-game Great Lakes Valley Conference set.
Jewell took Sunday's seven-inning opener 8-6, but the two wins on the weekend for the Panthers (27-22-1, 19-16-1) were enough to get Drury back in the eight-team field to defend its GLVC Championship when the post-season tourney kicks off Thursday at Grand Park in Westfield, Ind.
The seventh-seed Panthers will open Thursday at 2:30 p.m. (EST) against No. 2 seed Indianapolis (32-17). The teams did not meet this regular season.
Spencer Wilmes went 4-for-5 with four RBIs,
Dallas Williams,
Ryan Colombo and
Luke Tewes had three hits each and
Ryan Wadkins and
John Goodrich had a couple hits apiece and scored three runs each to lead Drury's attack in the finale, when the Panthers scored two runs each in the first three innings and closed it out with a five-run frame in the eighth before the Cardinals tallied four in the ninth.
Austin Simms (3-2) picked up the win for the Panthers, going seven innings and allowing 12 hits and five runs.Â
"We were able to outslug them and get another win," Drury coach
Scott Nasby said. "We have been playing post-season baseball for three weeks, so we are happy to continue playing. Having (seniors)
Trevor Richards and
Austin Faulconer for another start is exciting."
In Sunday's opener, the Panthers built an early 3-1 lead, but watched Jewell go on top 4-3 with a three-run third. Down 8-4 entering the seventh, the Panthers scored two in the seventh to make it 8-6 but could get no closer.
Tewes went 3-for-4 and slugged his 11th homer of the season - tying Matt Borgschulte's single-season record set in 2013 - as part of a two-RBI effort.
Bobby Lang also homered and went 2-for-4 with a pair of runs driven in.
Williams and Goodrich also had two hits each as part of a 15-hit attack.
Jewell finished the regular season 35-15 overall and 24-12 in the league, good for second in the West Division.
GLVC Championship Tournament BracketÂ