Panthers end season positively
Mothers and grandmothers were in attendance Sunday, Mother’s Day, as the Panthers ended their home season with a 4-3 victory over Eastern Kentucky at Coaches Stadium.
The win Sunday put the Panthers record at 20-26 overall and 9-17 in the OVC.
Reliever Scott Foley got the win for Eastern in one and two-thirds innings of work, appearing in the top of the eighth as the fourth Panther pitcher of the afternoon.
Starter Mike Manns struggled early on, allowing three runs on six walks and two hits during four innings of work. A walk and two hit batsman in the top of the second loaded the bases for Eastern Kentucky and a third walk by Manns brought in the first run of the game. Kentucky would score again in the top of the third, and again on a pass-ball in the top of the fifth.
Eastern got on the board in the bottom of the third with a base hit by left fielder Mark Chagnon. A pass-ball in the bottom of the fifth brought the score to 3-2 and a base hit with two out from infielder Ryan Campbell tied the game at three.
Going into the bottom of the ninth with the score still tied, Casey Spears led off with a single, as senior players saw their last chance for a win on their home field in their Eastern careers.
Spears advanced to third on another Eastern single, and before the first out of the inning could be made, senior Erik Huber, in his last home at bat as a Panther, ended the game with a drive up the middle.
Fans and players were glad to see the home season end on a positive note. Adding the double loss to Eastern Kentucky on Saturday, the Panthers had dropped 11 of their last 13 and saw their hopes for playoff birth dwindling.
Of Sunday’s win, Mike Astroski, a junior playing in his final game for Eastern, said he was kind of relieved, and felt good to have a win for the end.
Teammate Adam Varrassi, senior shortstop, also felt good about the win.
“It’s good to get a win in front of everyone like this after a hard year,” said Varrassi. “We just pitched well and hit well. Did the little things.”
Head coach Jim Schmitz said the players deserve all the credit, and that Saturday’s losses did not change the Panthers’ strategy toward the Colonels.
“We did good. We won the game and that’s all that matters.”
Panthers end season positively
Sophomore infielder Jordan Kreke completes a double play started by senior shortstop Adam Varrassi. The panthers would go on to lose to Eastern Kentucky 10-9 in 10 innings Saturday afternoon at Coaches Stadium. (Amir Prellberg/The Daily Eastern News)
