MARION, Ill.— Drury was down to their final out in the top of the ninth, but a single by Brooks Sunny tied the game at 3-3, and the Panthers scored three times in the 11^th to beat Maryville 6-3 in the opening round of the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament on Thursday at Mountain Dew Park in Marion, Illinois.
 
Drury, the number six seed in the tournament, advances to Game 7 on the postseason bracket with a 28-23 record. The Saints, seeded third in the tournament, drop to 32-17 and will play an elimination game on Friday at 9 am.
 
Trailing 3-1 in the ninth, the Panthers would get base runners thanks to a Maryville error and walk. A wild pitch put the tying runs in scoring position, and shortstop Brooks Sunny delivered a two-run single to left field, forcing the game to extra innings.
 
"Brooks had some decent swings early in the game and came through for us there," said Drury head coach Scott Nasby. "He's a senior and had a great at-bat that resulted in a line drive off the tip of the third baseman's glove." 
 
Drury took their first lead of the game in the top of the 11^th as Tyler Bastunas belted a double that drove in Cooper Munro. One batter later, Luke Burk sent a line drive over the right field fence and the two-run homer gave the Panthers a 6-3 lead. The home run was Burk's ninth of the year.
 
Mason Meeks (7-4) got the win in relief and retired all nine batters he faced from the ninth through the 11^th inning. Cody Bahl got a no-decision in the start but worked eight innings and kept the Panthers in the game allowing eight hits, three runs and two earned runs with four walks and four strikeouts.
 
Ben Prywitch (4-3), who had five saves on the season, took the loss in relief for Maryville.
 
Bastunas finished the game going 4 for 6 with two runs, an RBI and two doubles. Burk hit a double in the game to go along with his home run and had three RBI's.
 
"We were aggressive at the plate early and that helped us be more comfortable putting together some good swings and at-bats late in the game," said Nasby. "And I can't say enough good things about Bahl and Meeks and the gritty innings they gave us to keep us in this game."
 
The win snapped a seven-game losing streak for the Panthers and was their first extra-inning game this season. It also marked the first time this year that Drury has won a game when behind going into the ninth inning, but it was their third win of the year in a game decided in their final at-bat.
 
The Panthers will play Game 7 of the tournament on Friday at 4 pm against the winner of Illinois Springfield and William Jewell. The GLVC Tournament continues through Sunday in Marion, Illinois.
 
 
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