McClure
Josh Clark, Drury Sports Communications
16
Winner Drury DU 30-18, 21-9 GLVC
7
Southwest Baptist SBU 19-27, 9-14 GLVC
Winner
Drury DU
30-18, 21-9 GLVC
16
Final
7
Southwest Baptist SBU
19-27, 9-14 GLVC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Drury DU 2 0 0 2 0 6 6 16 12 3
Southwest Baptist SBU 0 0 0 0 3 4 0 7 7 0

W: Vita, Anthony (7-0) L: Eli Stewart (3-4)

2
Drury DU 30-19, 21-10 GLVC
3
Winner Southwest Baptist SBU 20-27, 10-14 GLVC
Drury DU
30-19, 21-10 GLVC
2
Final
3
Southwest Baptist SBU
20-27, 10-14 GLVC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Drury DU 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 5 0
Southwest Baptist SBU 0 1 0 0 0 2 X 3 4 2

W: Roberto Garcia (3-4) L: Panagos, Nick (4-1) S: Jude Sundquist (5)

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

Panthers Reach 30-Win Plateau in Doubleheder Split With SBU

BOLIVAR, Mo. — Drury baseball used a pair of six-run innings to seal its 30th victory of the season with a 16-7 decision over Southwest Baptist in the opening game of the two clubs' Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader Friday afternoon. The Bearcats rallied for a 3-2 win in the nightcap to salvage the split and take a two-games-to-one series edge heading into Saturday's regular-season finale on Dodson Field.

Drury (30-19, 21-10 GLVC) rode the combination of a strong start from Anthony Vita and a late scoring surge that saw the Panthers plate 12 runs over the final two innings to reach the 30-win plateau for the 11th time in their 20 years as an NCAA Division II program. Connor Bain went 2-for-4 with three runs batted-in to eclipse Drury's single-season RBI record, while Colin McClure led DU with three hits.

SBU (20-27, 12-19 GLVC) bounced back in game two behind the pitching of Roberto Garcia, who limited Drury to one earned run on five hits over 6.0 innings, before Jude Lundquist worked out of a seventh-inning jam to seal the win and his second save in as many days against the Panthers.

Game 1 - Drury 16, SBU 7
Vita held the Bearcats scoreless for four innings, while the Panther offense plated a pair of runs in the first and two more in the fourth to build a four-run lead. Drury's freshman lefty worked into the sixth inning, scattering four earned runs on six hits, before the Panther offense found its groove to put the game away.

Held to just three hits in Thursday's series opener, the Panthers went to work right away in game two, striking for two runs on a Bain double that followed walks to Luke Matschiner and Jackson Crider to start the game. With that three-run blow, Bain moved into the top spot on DU's single-season RBI chart, snapping a tie with previous record-holder Luke Tewes with his 63rd, 64th and 65th RBIs of the season.

DU added two more runs in the fourth, as McClure's first hit of the day and a walk to Matschiner set up a Crider two-run double to left off SBU starter Eli Stewart (3-3). 

With Drury in front 4-0 and Vita seemingly in control, the Bearcats rallied for three runs in the fifth to trim the margin to 4-3. 

McClure, who singled in each of Drury's two six-run rallies, opened the Panthers' sixth with a base hit, before a pair of walks and two hit batsmen produced two Drury runs. With the bases still loaded, Greydon Miller delivered the biggest blow of the game with a three-run double to left to stretch the Panther lead to 9-3. Carter Wambach capped the rally with a sacrifice fly that made it a seven-run game.

Fueled by back-to-back home runs from Ryan Ray and Raydley Legito, SBU answered with four runs of its own in the home half of the sixth to pull to within 10-7.

But the Panthers' offense proved unstoppable, striking for six more runs in the seventh, drawing five of their season-best 12 walks in the inning to help ultimately stretch the margin to nine runs. Logan Reidelberger singled home a run, and a pair of wild pitches brought in two more to make it a 13-7 game. McClure put the finishing touches on his performance with a two-run single, before Matschiner's base hit plated the 16th Drury run of the game.

Trayce Mercer, who relieved Vita and worked out of a sixth-inning jam to preserve the DU lead, finished off the victory with a hitless seventh.

In addition to big games from McClure and Bain, the Panthers enjoyed a strong offensive effort from Matschiner, who went 2-for-3 with three runs scored after reaching base safely in five of his six plate appearances. Miller matched Bain with his three RBIs while reaching base in three plate appearances, and Crider scored three runs and drove home two more to help spark the Panther offense.

Vita improved to 6-0 in GLVC play with a victory in his sixth-straight start dating back to March 28. 

Game 2 - SBU 3, Drury 2
Garcia (3-4) kept the Panthers in check throughout his six innings, allowing just an unearned run in the first and a two-out RBI-double by Miller in the third.

The Bearcats overcame a 2-1 deficit with two runs in the bottom of the sixth, knotting the score on an Isaac McIntosh steal of home before Jake Harris drove home the go-ahead run with a two-out double.

The Panthers mounted a threat in the top of the seventh after Landon Willbrand drew a leadoff walk before pinch runner Max Brown advance to second on a Lundquist wild pitch, then stole third with the heart of the Drury lineup coming to bat. Matschiner coaxed a walk to put runners on the corners, but Lundquist got Crider swinging on three pitches, then retired Reidelberger on a liner to center to end the game.

Nick Panagos (4-1) worked 5.0 innings in relief of Caden Crask-Weeks, allowing three runs on just four hits with three punchouts.

McClure led the Panthers at the plate once again, recording a hit in his lone official at-bat and drawing two walks. He finished the day 4-for-6 with a pair of RBIs.

LOOKING AHEAD
The Panthers and Bearcats will conclude their series and the regular season Saturday with a Noon contest 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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