SPRINGFIELD, Mo.— Drury outfielder Wes Collins hit three doubles and drove in seven runs as the Panthers opened a four-game series with a 14-4 win over Southwest Baptist at US Baseball Park in Ozark on Friday.
 
The Panthers went to 17-12 and 8-5 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference, while the Bearcats fell to 7-20 and 3-6 in the GLVC.
 
Drury took a 3-1 lead in the third inning on a bases-clearing double by Collins. SBU battled back to take a 4-3 lead in the fourth, but the Panthers sent 11 batters to the plate in the bottom half of the inning and scored six times. Collins belted another three-run double in that inning, then added an RBI-double in the fifth to give Drury an 11-4 lead.
 
The Panthers ended the game via run-rule in the seventh scoring three times. Brooks Sunny drew a bases-loaded walk to give Drury a 14-4 lead to end the game.

"It was tough conditions with how windy it was today and both pitchers had issues with that," said Drury head coach Scott Nasby. "It was one of those days when you know you have to out-slug them, and you know you need to be fundamental. We had to answer back when they took the lead and they hit some balls well off of Cody, so we had to make sure he knew our offense had his back today."
 
Collins finished the game going 3 for 3 with two walks and a career-high seven RBIs. Brooks Sunny and Briar Stinson added home runs for the Panthers.
 
Cody Bahl (4-0) got the win for Drury going six innings, allowing nine hits, four runs and three earned runs with three walks and six strikeouts. Jake Fuller (1-4) took the loss in relief for the Bearcats.
 
The series continues on Saturday with a doubleheader starting at 1 pm at US Baseball Park in Ozark.
 
 
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