Springfield, Mo. -- The Lewis University baseball team went 0-2 in their doubleheader against Drury University Saturday.
The Flyers fall to 5-14 on the season while the Panthers have won three out of four in the series and improve their record to 12-7.
GAME ONE RECAP
Lewis was able to get a runner into scoring position to open the game in the top of the first after a walk and hit by pitch and a single, but Drury pitching was able to force both teams to move into the second inning quietly instead.
Three straight base hits from the Panthers in the bottom of the second inning put them up 1-0 in the running as Greydon Miller had an RBI single to left. Miller soon scored on a sacrifice fly from Xander Schmitt which added an insurance run for the Panthers at 2-0.
Senior Tylor Phommachanhom (Plainfield, Ill/Parkland CC) got the Flyers going on offense with a leadoff single to center in the top of the third inning, advancing to second on a bunt and then to third on a hit by pitch. Phommachanhom scored to make it 2-1 after an RBI fielder's choice from junior Kyle Peterson (Orland Park, Ill/Carl Sandburg).
The Flyers worked out of a jam in the bottom of the third inning with senior pitcher Tanner Johnson (Sulpher Springs, TX/Triton CC) stranding three on base and ending the frame with a strikeout.
Freshman Constantine Coins led off the top of the fifth for Lewis by working a walk and was active on the bases by advancing to second on a failed Drury pickoff attempt, advancing to third on a groundout and then scoring on a wild pitch to tie it at 2-2. The Flyers weren't done in the fifth and took a 3-2 lead off the bat of sophomore Chris Daugherty (Chicago, Ill/Brother Rice) who cranked an RBI double to left center.
After multiple hit batters and a single, the Panthers recontrolled the lead in the bottom half of the fifth with Miller knocking a two run double down the left field line to push them out front 4-3.
The Panthers strung together some insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth inning with Jackson Crider collecting an RBI on a base hit and another runner coming around to score on a Lewis passed ball to solidify the final score at 6-3. Pitcher Coleman Morrison went five innings in the seven inning game and picked up the win, allowing just two earned runs on four walks and six strikeouts.
GAME TWO RECAP
The Panthers had a loud start to the game to go up 1-0 early in the bottom of the first with a solo homer to left from Luke Matschiner.
All was quiet from both team until the top of the third inning where Daugherty came up big again with another RBI double scoring two this time. The Flyers weren't finished yet when that double was followed up by two run home run from senior Jayden Gonzalez (Chicago, Ill.) to put Lewis up 4-1.
Drury answered back quickly though in the bottom half of the third where they scored twice to decrease the deficit to a run at 4-3 after a groundout and RBI single from Connor Bain.
The back and forth battle resumed in the top of the fourth when Lewis came to bat after Daugherty collected yet another RBI double on the day to bring in Peterson to make it 5-3. Gonzalez followed up for Lewis by bringing in another insurance run as well on a groundout to second base to go up 6-3.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, Drury began their climb back by cashing in a run to push the score to 6-4 on a groundout by Matschiner after a Lewis pitching change.
The Panthers tied it at 6-6 in the bottom of the fifth inning when Bain came around to score on a double from Carter Wambach while he himself scored on a single from Landon Willbrand.
Freshman Jimmy Spellman (Chicago, Ill./Notre Dame College of Prep) led off the top of the sixth for the Flyers to face a new Drury pitcher with a single to right and later advanced to second on a wild pitch. Gonzalez continued to have a big game by bringing in the go-ahead run for Lewis with an RBI single to go up 7-6.
After a battle for the lead since the third inning, Drury flipped a switch and had a monstrous bottom of the sixth inning where six runs came around to score on five hits and a Lewis error after a pitching change at the start of the inning. Miller, Wambach and Schmitt all doubled while a three run home run off the bat of Willbrand capped off the inning at a 12-6 Drury lead.
Pitcher Jacob House gathered the win in the second game of the doubleheader, he went a full inning of work with a strikeout while allowing one run and two hits.
UP NEXT
The Flyers will play the finale of their four game series set against Drury Sunday (Mar. 15) with first pitch in the early afternoon at 12 p.m. CST.
