Baseball Splits Conference Duel with Westminster
Published: April 13, 2021
FULTON, Mo. The Panthers went 1-1 in Saturday afternoons double-dip, splitting a 5-4, 7-5 decision with foe Westminster College in Fulton, Mo. at the Bluejays Saucier Field.
Saturdays result moves the Panthers to 3-11 (1-1 SLIAC) in 2012, and served as the conference opener for the Black & Orange. GC will wrap up the three-game set with Westminster on Monday, March 26 when they return home to Robert E. Smith Field for the series rubber match at 3:00 pm.
In the weekend twinbill, GC took the opener 5-4 with a clutch late-inning push that saw the addition of four runs in the final three innings to clinch the win. Junior Kenny Trager delivered a two-out RBI single in the top of the seventh that pushed the visiting squad past the WC club, and fellow junior Scotty Voyles closed the deal on the mound in the bottom of the frame to seal the 5-4 victory and earn the save.
Junior Derek Reckmann started the affair on the mound for the Panthers and dealt five-innings before lefty sophomore Cody Hinterscher (1-2) stepped in for relief. Hinterscher hurled one inning but registered two strikeouts and no earned to claim the win.
At the dish juniors Trager and Cole Lawson helped lead the squads efforts. Trager posted a 1-for-2 showing with an RBI, while Lawson went 1-for-3 with a solo homerun.
Game two of the split took an unfortunate turn for the Panthers, as they were outlasted 7-5 by the host in a full nine-inning duel. Late-inning issues doomed the Black & Orange and the Bluejays of WC added three runs in the eighth to equalize Saturdays double header 1-1.
Brothers David and Jared Massengill led the GC efforts offensively in the loss. Freshman shortstop J. Massengill posted an impressive performance batting 2-for-4 with a homerun and two RBI, while older brother D. Massengill went 1-for-4 with three RBI and a run scored. Each contributed on the base paths as well, adding a stolen base apiece.
D. Massengill started for the Panthers and tossed a five-hit, five-inning effort with five strikeouts before he was relieved in the sixth by freshman Jake McMullen. McMullen went two innings, allowing only one hit with strikeout in his relief role before handing off to sophomore lefty Tyler Mitchell who surrendered two earned runs after facing two batters. Mitchell (0-4) was charged the loss in the nine-inning bout.
GC will wrap up the three-game set with Westminster on Monday, March 26 when they return home to Robert E. Smith Field for the series rubber match at 3:00 pm.
