KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Drury won their seventh straight game in a 10-inning, 23-run affair against Rockhurst in game one of a four-game series in Kansas City.
Both offenses came out on fire with ten total runs scored in the first inning. Drury scored four of those runs.
Jackson Crider got the scoring started with a two-run homer to score
Luke Matschiner.
Gabe Russell would single a batter later. Following the single,
Connor Bain would hit another home run to extend their lead to four. The Hawks would answer with six runs of their own in the inning.
Drury regained the lead in the second after scoring three runs. Crider would grab another RBI with a single to score
Wyatt Morgan.
Connor Bain grounded out two batters later and scored Matschiner. Following the ground out,
Hesston Gray would double into left field to score
Gabe Russell. In the bottom half of the inning,
Gage Hayes put Rockhurst down in order.
After adding one run in each of the fourth, sixth, and eighth innings, the Panthers held onto a 10-9 lead entering the ninth inning.
Drury threatened to add more in the ninth inning but was unable to add insurance, leaving two stranded. With a few pinch hits the Hawks were able to string hits together and score the tying run in the bottom half, sending into extra innings.
In the 10th,
Gabe Russell would start the inning with a lead-off single before being run for by
Conner Flieg.
Hesston Gray would add another single. After a wild pitch, Gray and Flieg would both end up in scoring position. Rockhurst was able to get the first out of the inning.
Landon Willbrand would battle back and forth with Brandon Hebrank before Willbrand got the best of Hebrank with a go-ahead three-run home run to left field, 13-10. The Panthers took a three-run advantage to the bottom half where
Luc Fuller shut the Rockhurst offense down 1, 2, and 3
Jackson Crider led the Drury offense with four hits.
Connor Bain had four RBIs.
Gage Hayes got the start going 4.2 innings before being relieved by
Brady Childs,
Nick Panagos, and
Luc Fuller. Fuller secured the win in 2.1 innings of work striking three out.
The Panthers will play a doubleheader against the Hawks on Saturday with the first game set to start at noon.
#WonDrury