EDMOND, Okla.- The Drury Panthers split their first two games of the 2019 season with a 7-1 loss at Central Oklahoma followed by a 5-4 win against Arkansas Tech on a 33-degree day in Edmond, Oklahoma on Saturday.
 
Drury picked up a 1-0 lead on Central Oklahoma in the first inning of their first game of the day as Ethan Owens' double drove in Brant Schaffitzel to put the Panthers in front. Drury held that 1-0 margin until the sixth when the Bronchos broke out for a five-run frame. Central Oklahoma (3-2) pitching limited the Panthers to just three hits in the game and pulled away for a 7-1 win.
 
Drury won their second game of the afternoon with a 5-4 win over Arkansas Tech. The Panthers scored three times in the first as Clayton Engel got Drury on the board with an RBI-single that was followed by bases-loaded walks from Nikko Calabro and Collin Frayley.
 
The Wonder Boys took a 4-3 lead in the second inning, but Drury evened the game in the fifth on Calabro's RBI-double. In the seventh, Engel hit a sacrifice fly scoring Ethan Owens, and the Panthers went on top for good.
 
Tom Tewes (1-0) got the win for Drury going seven innings allowing six hits, four runs and one earned run with four walks and a strikeout. Kaden Helsel pitched two innings of relief, and the got the save in his collegiate debut as he struck out four of the seven batters he faced to preserve the Panthers one-run lead.
 
Engel went 2 for 4 in the game with a run and two RBI's. Owens was 2 for 5 with a pair of runs.
 
Arkansas Tech fell to 3-3 while Drury evened their record at 1-1.
 
The Panthers return to action next weekend when they travel to Austin, Texas to play a four-game series against St. Edward's from Feb. 15-17.
 
 
#allweDUiswin