SPRINGFIELD, Mo.— The Drury Panthers swept Southwest Baptist in a doubleheader on Friday, winning game one 13-3 and rallying for a 9-6 win in game two at Mark Worley Field at Meador Park in Springfield.
Drury improved to 30-21 and 20-11 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. The Bearcats dropped to 15-34 and 8-23 in the GLVC.
Game One
Logan Reidelberger had four runs batted in and was 2 for 3 at the plate in game one. The junior from St. Louis put Drury in front in the third inning with a bases-loaded double that drove in three runs and gave the Panthers a 4-1 lead. Reidelberger belted another double in the fifth to drive in a run as part of a four-run frame.
Luke Matschiner went 4 for 5 with a run, a double, and three RBIs. It was Matschiner's first four-hit game this season and the 11
th of the year by a Panther. He is second on the team in multi-hit games with 18.
Jackson Crider and
Connor Bain both went 3 for 3 in the game, and both players had a double.
Nick Gales (4-3) struck out 10 batters on his way to the win. He worked six innings and allowed only one hit and one run with one walk and a season-high 10 strikeouts. Ryan McClish (5-6) took the loss.
Game Two
Trailing 5-0 after two innings, Drury battled back and used a six-run fifth inning to take the lead on their way to a 9-6 victory and a sweep of the doubleheader.
The Panthers homered twice in the third inning to start their comeback.
Cannon Stuckey belted a two-run homer, and
Wyatt Morgan added a solo shot to pull Drury within two, 5-3.
After allowing a run in the top of the fifth, the Panthers grabbed the lead, scoring six times in the bottom half of the frame.
Jackson Crider singled to drive in one run, and a bases-loaded double by
Carter Wambach scored three runners to give Drury a 7-6 lead. The Panthers added to their lead with a sacrifice fly by Reidleberger and an RBI single by Morgan.
Southwest Baptist got a pair of singles to start the sixth inning, but reliever
Brady Childs retired the next three batters he faced, and
Luc Fuller pitched the top of the seventh to close out the game.
Childs (1-2) got the win in relief, and Fuller earned his first save. Cody Gibson (0-1) took the loss in relief for Southwest Baptist.
Morgan ended the game going 2 for 2 with two runs and two RBIs. His home run was his 10
th of the year.
With the win, Drury clinched a berth in the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament that starts on May 7 in Marion, Illinois. The sweep also gives the Panthers a 3-0 lead in the four-game series.
The two teams conclude the series and the regular season on Saturday. Drury will honor their graduating players before the game as part of Senior Day, and the first pitch is scheduled for noon at Mark Worley Field at Meador Park.
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