Crider
Josh Clark, Drury Sports Communications
6
Drury DU 29-18, 20-9 GLVC
7
Winner Southwest Baptist SBU 19-26, 11-18 GLVC
Drury DU
29-18, 20-9 GLVC
6
Final
7
Southwest Baptist SBU
19-26, 11-18 GLVC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Drury DU 1 0 0 0 0 1 2 2 0 6 3 0
Southwest Baptist SBU 1 0 0 0 0 1 3 2 X 7 8 1

W: Koen Van T Klooster (5-4) L: Mercer, Trayce (0-2) S: Jude Sundquist (4)

Game Recap: Baseball | | Eric Doennig, Associate AD - Media Relations

Late Rally Sinks Panthers in Series Opener Against SBU

BOLIVAR, Mo. — A pair of Southwest Baptist runs in the bottom of the eighth inning capped a late-game offensive surge that handed the Bearcats a 7-6 come-from-behind win over Drury in the opening game of the two clubs' Great Lakes Valley Conference series Thursday evening on Dodson Field.

Trailing 6-5 entering the home half of the eighth, SBU put together a two-run rally without the benefit of a hit to complete a three-inning stretch that saw the Bearcats score six of their seven runs in overcoming a pair of deficits.

This time, SBU used three walks and a pair of wild pitches to bring in the tying and go-ahead runs, the latter of which came on Beau Honeycutt's sacrifice liner to right that plated Jared Pugrad with the deciding run.

Jude Sundquist closed out the victory for SBU with a pair of strikeouts in 1-2-3 ninth inning. 

SBU (19-26, 11-18 GLVC) overcame a pair of Drury leads in the late innings, rallying from a 4-2 deficit on Ryan Ray's three-run homer with two out in the eighth. That blast followed Jackson Crider's two-run homer in the top of the seventh that broke up SBU's no-hit big and snapped a 2-2 tie.

Drury (29-18, 20-9 GLVC) responded with two runs of its own in the eighth, capitalizing on a leadoff walk to Greydon Miller and a Bearcat error following Jackson Edwards' single to center. Colin McClure added a base hit, before Luke Matschiner drew a two-out, bases-loaded walk to force home a second run for a 6-5 DU advantage.

But SBU cashed in on walks to Conner Titus, Pugrad, and Cameron Dean, scoring the equalizing run on a Coleman Morrison (3-3) wild pitch. Honeycutt then lined a 3-2 pitch from Trayce Mercer to right, bringing in Purgrad from third with the go-ahead tally.

Drury starting pitcher Kaleb Thomas delivered a strong opening stretch to open the evening, dueling SBU right-hander Ryne Kaiser to a 1-1 tie through five innings. Kaiser held the Panthers hitless over his 5 1/3 innings, but DU seized a one-run lead in the sixth, using three free passes to set up a scoring threat. With one out, Connor Bain walked and stole second, and Miller and Carter Wambach each drew bases on balls, and Edwards put the Panthers on top with a sac fly to left, giving Thomas a 2-1 lead.

SBU answered with a run of its own in the home half of the sixth, pulling even on Scott Allan's two-out single.

Thomas finished his outing with eight strikeouts, while scattering five runs on eight hits over 7.0 innings. The four SBU hurlers combined to limit Drury to just three hits, as Crider led the Panthers' offense with a pair of runs scored and two RBIs.

LOOKING AHEAD
Drury and SBU will square off again Friday afternoon in a doubleheader slated for a Noon start at Dodson Field.

For all the latest information on Drury baseball, visit DruryPanthers.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Panthers on X and Instagram.

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