Panthers Jump Out to Big Lead; Hang on for 10-8 Victory over Augustana
Feb. 24, 2009
Box Score
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - In the Panthers first game not playing Hanover College, DU used five straight scoring innings to post a 10-8 win over Augustana College (IL). Davenport improves to 4-0 in their first season of having a program.
The top half of the first inning was a struggle for pitcher Tucker Gernhard, but the junior from Lakeland CC managed to allow only one run to come across the plate. The Panthers then struck right back when David Stuppy reached on a walk and came around to score after a few sacrifices and a wild pitch and the scoring was just getting started for DU.
The Panthers got three runs across in the bottom fo the second when Stuppy hit a two RBI double that scored Derrick Gentile and James Folske. The scoring would continue in the bottom of the third, fourth and fifth innings as Davenport raced out to a 10-4 lead with just two innings remaining.
Bobby Kwekel came in and provided a quick top half of the 6th inning, but things got interesting in the seventh after the opening batter struck out. A walk, a hit batter and an error by the Panthers allowed Augustana to claw their way back in and eventually had the bases loaded with two outs while trailing by only two, but Kwekel got batter to ground out to Matt Collins at shortstop to end the game.
Gernhard received the win as he threw five innings of 7-hit ball while striking out 6 batters and giving up four earned runs. Tim McNair went 1-1 with 3 RBI and 2 runs scored while Joe Hill went 1-2 with 1 RBI and 2 runs scored.
