Panther baseball drops three

After starting the season 4-2, the Panthers fell to 4-5 on a loss to Red Oak and two to ADM.

While one game was a shutout, the others were one-run losses.

Red Oak

Down 3-0 in the top of the seventh Thursday at Red Oak, the Panthers were able to string together their first runs of the game. It wasn’t enough, as the Tigers (4-1) took the 3-2 conference win.

Senior Camden Smith got things going with a single to lead off the inning. Senior Tyler Riley was hit by the pitch to get two on base.

At the top of the lineup, Tanner Ray made it to first base on a fielder’s choice that saw Smith out on his way to third.

Freshman Logan Stehr’s single sent in Riley and Ray for two runs. But with two outs on the board, a strikeout left the tying run stranded.

On the mound for the Panthers was Ray who struck out two batters and allowed three runs. Of his 71 pitches, 41 were strikes.

ADM

In the first game against ADM (3-4), the Tigers put up a nine-run fourth inning to end the game 13-0 after the Panthers remained scoreless in the fifth.

Freshman Brady McDonald and sophomores Rhett Driskell and Cason Scarberry each took their turns on the mound for the Panthers.

Creston battled back in game two, going to nine innings on a 5-5 tie. ADM earned the win on a wild pitch in the bottom of the ninth.

Going into the seventh, Creston was down 2-1. The Panthers took a deciding lead with four runs, but the Tigers came back to score three of their own in the bottom to send the game to extra innings.

Senior Mattias Schultes had three singles and a hit by pitch on his four plate appearances. He scored one of the team’s five runs.

The other runs were earned by seniors Parker Varner, Brayden Schoon and Tommy Sand and sophomore Scarberry.

In center field, Riley caught five balls for outs.

Pitching a majority of the game was freshman Landyn Scherer. He struck out four batters and allowed four runs.

The Panthers host a home doubleheader tonight with Lewis Central.

The Titans are 5-2 overall and 3-0 in the Hawkeye 10.