LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Spalding baseball team swept a three-game series against Principia extending their winning streak to 13 consecutive games. With the sweep, the Golden Eagles improve to 26-7 and 15-1 in conference.
GAME ONE: Spalding 9 – Principia 2
HIGHLIGHTS
After a pair of Panther runs in the top of the first, the Golden Eagles responded with nine unanswered runs. In the bottom of the first, a Quenton Brownlee two-RBI single scored Garrett Wilson and Eric Meyer to tie the game at two runs apiece, and a Dillon Sievert groundout to short scored Brownlee from third to put SU in front, 3-2. Spalding pulled away behind a five-run fourth inning. Wilson singled through the left side scoring Sievert and Zane Baker to plate the first two runs of the inning, and Meyer capped off the inning with a three-run home run. A Wilson groundout to first drove in Bryce Spalding for the final run of the game.
NOTABLE STATS
Peyton Hood (1-2) threw a magnificent game holding the Panthers to one hit, while striking out 12 batters in 6 and 1/3 innings pitched. Hood and starter Jack Parisi combined for a no hitter through 6 and 1/3, but a double off the bat of Principia's Ryan Eisenaur just went over the outstretched glove of a leaping Q Brownlee to end the no-hitter bid. Brownlee, Meyer and Wilson led SU at the plate. Brownlee finished 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs, Meyer went 1-for-3 with a home run and three RBIs, and Wilson drove in three runs on a 2-for-4 performance.
GAME TWO: Spalding 10 – Principia 2
HIGHLIGHTS
The Golden Eagles struck in the bottom of the first on a Brownlee triple that brought Garrett Wilson around to score. Two home runs in the third helped SU score three runs to extend their lead to four runs. Cody Milliner and Meyer hit back-to-back solo homers for the first two runs and a Baker single through the left side brought Evan Trentman in from third. Spalding scored a pair of runs over the next two innings neutralizing a pair of Panther runs. In the fourth inning, Robbie Dale scored on a Milliner sacrifice fly to shallow left field, and in the sixth Dale stole second, then advanced to third and scored on an error by the catcher. The Golden Eagles added four more runs over the final two innings. In the seventh, Brownlee hit a two-run homer in the seventh and Spalding drove in Trentman with a groundout to short. Wilson capped off the game with a solo home run to right field, his second of the season.
NOTABLE STATS
Dillon Sievert (6-0) earned the win on the mound, holding the Panthers to one earned run, on eight hits, while striking out seven batters. Brownlee, Meyer, Trentman and Wilson led SU hitters. Brownlee drove in a team-high three runs going 3-for-5 at the plate, and Meyer went 2-for-5 with a home run, his 10th of the season tying Zane Wheatley's NCAA era single-season program record, which was set in 2010. Trentman and Wilson both finished 3-for-5, including a double and triple for Trentman and a home run for Wilson.
GAME THREE: Spalding 5 – Principia 3
HIGHLIGHTS
Spalding, looking to sweep the series on senior day, took an early lead scoring a pair of runs in the second inning to go ahead, 2-0. The first run coming on a Spalding sac fly scoring Brownlee from third. The Eagles maneuvered their way to another run when Jason Ochoa took off for second, the Panthers caught Ochoa in a rundown allowing Sievert to work his way down the third baseline and beat the throw to home, which allowed Ochoa to take second. The Golden Eagles trailed, 3-2, heading into the bottom of the fifth after three unanswered Panther runs. Milliner drove in the tying and go-ahead runs. In the fifth, the senior singled to left center bringing Dale around from second to knot it, 3-3. In the seventh, Milliner drove in Dale again, this time with a sac fly to center field to put SU on top, 4-3. SU added a support run in the bottom of the eighth. Sievert reached on a walk, advanced to second on a Spalding groundout, moved to third following on a dropped third strike that required the catcher to throw Trentman out at first, and raced home to score on a wild pitch to make the final score, 5-3. Lane Staples came on for the final 3 and 2/3 innings and was lights out. The senior held the Panthers without a hit while striking out eight.
NOTABLE STATS
Staples (5-0) earned his second win of the week, holding the Panthers without a hit, while starter Hayden Davenport had a solid outing allowing three runs, on three hits, while striking out five. Milliner led SU at the plate driving in a team-high two RBIs while going 1-for-3, and Sievert finished 1-for-2 with a double and two runs scored. Dale, did not register a hit in the game, but was walked three times, scored two runs and stole a base. All five of Golden Eagles runs were driven-in and/or scored by a senior.
UP NEXT
The Eagles head to Blackburn College Friday, April 26 to play three innings of a game on April 6 that was suspended heading into the seventh inning due to heavy rain. From there, the Golden Eagles will head to Iowa Wesleyan for a doubleheader Saturday at 1:00 pm ET.