MARION, Ill.— Drury had their run in the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament end as William Jewell hung on for an 8-7 win over the Panthers at Mtn. Dew Park in Marion, Illinois, on Saturday morning.
Drury, the third seed in the tournament, dropped to 27-25, while the Cardinals, seeded sixth, went to 32-21.
The Panthers jumped in front with three runs in the third, then added another run in the fourth to go ahead 4-0. William Jewell got on the board with a run in the fifth, then Drury's morning came unraveled in the sixth inning. The Cardinals scored six runs in the sixth with five hits, and they took advantage of three Drury errors. All six runs allowed in the frame were unearned.
The Panthers bounced back to threaten in the seventh.
Connor Bain drove in a run with a double to cut William Jewell's lead to 7-5, then Drury loaded the bases with one out, but reliever Brogdan McDougal got a pop-up and ground out to get out of the inning. The Panthers put runners at first and third in the eighth, but a ground ball ended that frame.
The Cardinals added an insurance run in the eighth that proved to be the difference in the game. In the top of the ninth,
Brandon Holdren belted a two-run home run that brought Drury within a run of the lead at 8-7, but McDougal ended the game with back-to-back strikeouts.
Breven Yarbro (8-2) got the win while McDougal picked up his fifth save. Reliever Wes Laaker (5-7) took the loss. Panthers starter
Jack Jones got a no-decision after going five innings and allowed only two hits and one run with four walks and four strikeouts.
Drury infielder
Tyler Bastunas went 3 for 4 with a double, a run, and an RBI.
Each of Drury's three tournament games was decided at the wire. Their two previous contests went extra innings as the Panthers lost in the opening round to William Jewell, 3-2, 11 innings, and Drury defeated Rockhurst 6-4 in innings.
With the win, William Jewell advanced to play Quincy in Game 11 of the tournament later Saturday at 4 pm.
The Panthers will wait until Sunday night and the NCAA-II Selection Show to see if their season will continue. Drury was ranked sixth in the last Midwest Regional rankings released before the conference tournament started. Seven teams from the Midwest Region will receive bids to the NCAA-II Tournament.
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