OZARK, Mo.- Drury edged Maryville twice on Friday at U.S. Baseball Park in Ozark to take the first two games of a four-game series. The Panthers won game one 3-2 in 10 innings and took the second game 4-2.
 
Drury raised their record to 28-15 and 14-8 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. Maryville dropped to 22-22 and 9-13 in the GLVC.
 
In game one, Ryan Colombo led off the 10^th inning with a solo home run to left field giving the Panthers a 3-2 win. An inning earlier, Drury was down to their final strike in the bottom of the ninth but scored a run to force extra innings. Grant Thimesch crossed the plate for the tying run when he stole third and came home on a throwing error by Saints catcher Connor Markell. The play tied the game at 2-2 sending it to the 10^th.

"Sometimes when you can put pressure on your opponent, good things can happen," said Drury head coach Scott Nasby. "We're a good throw away from losing that first game. Maryville played a great ballgame but just made that one mistake. Colombo at the plate and on the mound showed us the reasons why he's our MVP." 
 
Colombo went 3 for 5 in the game with two runs batted in. On the mound, he was stuck with a no-decision but went 8 innings allowing four hits, two runs and one earned run with two walks and four strikeouts. 
 
Drury allowed a first inning run in game two but took the lead with two runs in the second inning scoring with a RBI triple by Caleb Essick, who would then score a ground ball by Ethan Owens. Owens drove in another run in the fourth with a sacrifice fly.

"At times this year we've been striking out with a runner on third and the infield back," said Nasby. "We did a better job of putting the ball in the play to make sure we get that run in and Ethan Owens did a good job of that twice today. 
 
Garrett Woods improved to 7-2 for Drury in the start as he went 6.2 innings allowing six hits, two runs and one earned run with three walks and six strikeouts. Alex Austin went one-third of an inning to get the final out and his fifth save as he got Dalton Schumer to pop up to right field with the bases loaded in the seventh.
 
KK Daniel was 2 for 3 at the plate for the Panthers with a run and a RBI.
 
With the forecast for thunderstorms and heavy rain on Saturday, the four-game series will continue on Sunday with a noon start to the doubleheader at U.S. Baseball Park in Ozark.
 

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