PITTSBURG, Kan. — No. 1 Pittsburg State overcame a two-run deficit by scoring seven runs over a three-inning span to outlast Drury baseball in a 10-7 non-conference decision Tuesday afternoon at Al Ortolani Field.
Logan Reidelberger keyed a Drury (12-9) offense that wiped out an early 3-0 Pitt State advantage with a 3-for-4, four-RBI afternoon at the plate. The Panthers' senior first baseman delivered a two-run single in the third, then belted a two-run homer in the fourth to stake DU to a 5-3 lead.
But the nation's top-ranked Division II club responded with a rally of its own, putting three runs on the board in the fifth to seize the lead for good, before tacking on two-run rallies in the sixth and seventh frames to negate a two-run Drury seventh and take a three-run cushion into the late innings.
From there, the Pitt State (23-2) bullpen wrapped up the victory for the home club, with Bradley Neill and Cooper Crouch combining for 2 1/3 scoreless innings to secure the Gorillas' 11th non-conference victory in as many games this season.
Jadyn McNealy led the Gorilla attack with a hit, three walks and two steals on the afternoon, including a leadoff single to spark Pitt State's first-inning scoring threat. McNealy and Eric Bacon singled and swiped second to set up a Grant Nottleman infield hit that produced the first run of the game.
McNealy drew a walk to load the bases in the second after a leadoff walk to Seth Dandridge and a Landon Bruce bunt single started the inning. Bacon's ground ball to second brought in the first run of the rally, before a Dagen Brewer single to the left side made it a 3-0 game.
Drury put its offense into gear in the top half of the third, using a Colin McClure leadoff single as a springboard to a big inning. Luke Matschiner followed with a walk, and Jackson Crider singled to set up Reidelberger's second hit of the game, a two-run single to center that drew the Panthers to within one run. Next, a one-out wild pitch moved both DU runners into scoring position, and Greydon Miller lofted a sacrifice fly to right to even the score at 3-3.
Reidelberger struck again in the fourth, lifting his second home run of the season over the right-field wall for a two-run shot after Crider had extended the inning with his two-out base hit to right-center.
In the bottom of the fifth, Cooper Wesslund doubled to open the inning, before a walk and a Panthers error loaded the bases. McNealy coaxed a walk to force home a run, and Bacon plated the equalizing run with a sacrifice fly. After McNealy stole second and DU issued an intentional walk to load them up once again, Cole Carter put the Gorillas on top with a sac fly to right.
Pitt State added a pair of runs in the sixth on bases-loaded walks to McNealy and Brewer extended the Gorilla lead to 8-5.
Drury responded in the seventh, as an error, a hit batsman and a Landon Willbrand single set the stage for a bases-loaded walk to Matschiner, followed by Crider's run-scoring single that pulled the Panthers back to within one run.
But another two-run Pitt State rally in the home half of the inning provided all the offense the Gorillas bullpen would need to close out their 11th home win in 12 games this season.
Neill, who extinguished the Panthers' seventh-inning rally by retiring Reidelberger with the bases loaded to preserve the one-run margin, struck out a pair of DU hitters in a 1-2-3 eighth. Crouch then worked around a two-out, Caleb Briggs double in the ninth to register his fourth save of the season.
In addition to McNealy's effort, Nottleman added a 3-for-6 effort, while Dandridge went 1-for-2 with three walks and three runs scored for the Gorillas.
DU's Caden Crask-Weeks turned in 2.0 scoreless innings of relief, striking out three Pitt State hitters in the process to lead the Panthers' mound efforts.
LOOKING AHEAD
Drury continues a nine-game road swing Friday (March 20) when its opens a four-game GLVC set against Illinois Springfield with a 2 p.m. contest at UIS Baseball Field in Springfield, Ill.
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