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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – March 27, 2013 is a date that will never be forgotten for the Davenport baseball team. After playing the last four years at temporary homes, the Panthers were able to take out the word 'temporary' and replace it with 'permanent' Wednesday when they officially opened the Farmers Athletic Complex splitting a doubleheader with crosstown rival Aquinas. The Saints took the opener 6-1 but the Panthers took the evening cap 10-4.
Jordan Schumann and
Eric Cummings each recorded four hits on the day,
Tyler Berger had three including a double and
Carlos Berroa and
Cam Cooper both stretched a base hit into a triple.
Game One
It didn't take long for the Saints (11-4, 4-1 Wolverine Hoosier Athletic Conference) to put a run on the board, using a two-out RBI double to left field in the first inning. The eventual game-winning run came in the third inning when DU starter
Michael Clutterbuck (2-3) allowed a walked batsman to score on a two-out RBI single.
Clutterbuck would go 4.1 innings allowing three runs on five hits and four walks but managed to punch out five batters before handing the ball to
Ryan Butzer. Butzer went the rest of the way allowing three runs and scattering four hits, three walks while striking out two.
Davenport's first run in its new ballpark came in the fifth. It was forced in after
Michael Allen was hit by the pitch with the bases loaded.
Game Two
The Panthers saw themselves trailing again when Saints designated hitter Steve Crawford found an open gap in right center for a two-run triple in the second inning.
But the lead did not last long as Davenport answered back in a big way in its half of the frame. Allen led off with a walk and
Carlos Berroa and Edward Grochowalski Jr. loaded the bases with back-to-back singles to left before a two-run double by
Carey Ross evened the score. The Panthers would take the lead for the first time on the day on a passed ball and added breathing room on Cooper's RBI single.
Davenport learned something new about its new ballpark when it got another run across one inning later. With one out, Berroa hit a short fly to right where it took an awkward bounce around right fielder Kyle Orlowski and rolled to the corner, turning what would have likely been a single into a triple. Berger would bring in the fifth run on a double to right.
The Panthers, once again, took advantage of right field as Cooper led off the fourth inning with a triple and scored right away on Schumann's single through the left side. The Saints would load the bases again and Allen earned his way to first with an RBI walk.
Danny Sullivan continued to pitch outstanding, going six innings and allowing the two runs on five hits and a pair of walks. He also fanned seven batters.
Corey Anderson took over in the seventh and although he surrendered two runs, the senior managed to get himself out of trouble by striking out three batters.
The Panthers remain home this weekend as they host Northwestern Ohio Friday and Saturday for 1 p.m. first pitches.
Post-Game Quotes – Head Coach
Kevin Tidey
On the first game at the Farmers Athletic Complex – “It felt good to play on the field. Obviously everybody has been excited about it and it's taken longer than what we have expected to actually get out there because of the weather. But it's good to get out there and play.”
On the first game performance – “Clutterbuck was getting behind every hitter. He's got pretty good stuff, but if you are behind hitters it's tough to be effective. Aquinas took advantage of it and hit pretty good. We actually swung alright at the beginning of the game, but we didn't capitalize on having base runners in scoring position and couldn't get any runs in. It could have been a totally different game if we could have run a couple of guys across the plate in the first couple of innings.”
On bouncing back in game two – “We had a big double play early in the game that got us out of the inning. After that, Sullivan settled in and pitched really well and I thought we actually hit the ball a little bit better with guys in scoring position.”
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