Baseball secures conference tourney bid with sweep of Fontbonne

Published: April 13, 2021

Box Score - Game 1
Video Archive - Game 1
Box Score - Game 2
Video Archive - Game 2

GREENVILLE, Ill. -- The baseball team won both games of Saturday's doubleheader as they pushed their conference record to 12-4 and clinched an appearance in their second straight conference tournament and 10th in 11 seasons.

Greenville won the first game 9-2 and held on for a 5-4 win in the second game.

Shortstop Dalton McFarland was 2-for-2 with two runs scored and an RBI in the first game. Designated hitter Josh Wheeler posted a 1-for-2 afternoon with two runs scored and two RBI. First baseman Jared Storment was 3-for-4 with a run scored.

The Panthers spotted Fontbonne a 2-0 lead but exploded for seven runs in the bottom of the fourth and two in the bottom of the fifth.

Tyler Pilcher (3-1) pitched a seven inning complete game, allowing two runs on eight hits. He struck out three and walked three.

Game two opened with Greenville gaining a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second. Fontbonne tied the contest in the top of the fourth. Greenville added two runs in both the fifth and sixth innings and then held Fontbonne to three runs in the seventh.

Ryan Strohm (3-2) was the winning pitcher for Greenville as he went 6.2 innings and gave up four runs on 11 hits. He struck out three and walked one. Michael Wittmer came in to snuff out the Fontbonne seventh inning rally with one-third of an inning, and Nick Bifano recorded four strikeouts over two innings to gain his third save.

McFarland was 2-for-2 with a run scored and an RBI.

The Panthers (14-14, 12-4 SLIAC) face Webster on Tuesday in the conclusion of their suspended game.