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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Davenport baseball team opened the Wolverine Hoosier Athletic Conference Tournament with a split on a gorgeous day at the Farmers Athletic Complex Wednesday. The Panthers completed a rally in the ninth but only to lose the game one to 8-7 to Indiaa Tech on a walk-off home run. Trying to avoid elimination, DU was able to hold off Northwestern Ohio's rally late in game two to win 5-4. The Panthers will take on their crosstown rival Aquinas Thursday at 3 p.m.
Edward Grochowalski Jr. had a three-hit performance at the plate which included a solo shot in game one. He also drove in three runs.
Derek Dennis had a four-hit day but was excellent defensively, highlighted by preventing what could have been a go-ahead run in game two against the Racers (20-23).
Game One – Indiana Tech 8, Davenport 7
Starter
Danny Sullivan looked to have a bit of a struggle settling into the game. In the first, he walked the first two batters before a single to center field brought the first run of the game. He got out of the inning by catching a runner trying to steal second and then punched out the next two batters.
The Warriors added a run in both the second and third inning before doing serious damage in the fifth. An RBI single and a three-run shot to right field gave the Warriors a commanding 7-0 lead.
Sullivan would go 4.1 innings allowing five earned runs on five hits and four walks.
Ryan Butzer surrendered the three-run homer but managed to throw 1.2 innings of work before
Colton Satterlee (2-1) went the rest of the way.
The Panthers were able to break down Warrior starter Daniel Puckett in the seventh. Puckett would load the bases by giving
Jotham Woo and
Tyler Berger a free pass and hitting
Michael Allen. A fielder's choice brought the first run in and three straight singles by
Eric Cummings,
Jordan Schumann and
Cam Cooper drove in three more runs. In his second plate appearance in the frame, Woo traded an out for a run with a sacrifice fly to right.
Indiana Tech's lead was shrunk to one when Grochowalski hit a monster shot to left field to start the eighth.
Tyler Berger followed with a single and
Carlos Berroa moved pinch-runner
Andrew Kawam to second with a sacrifice bunt. Courtesy runner
Andrew Kawam advanced to third on Cummings groundout but was left stranded.
The lead would disappear in the ninth inning as back-to-back lead-off singles by Dennis and Woo set up Grochowalski's game-tying RBI base hit through the left side. Woo, the potential go-ahead run, found his way to third but was left standing.
Despite the rally, the Panthers couldn't bring the game into extras as the first Warrior batter hit a walk-off homer to left field.
Game Two – Davenport 5, Northwestern Ohio 4
The Racers opened up the game scoring one run using a lead-off double, a groundout and a sacrifice fly.
The lead didn't last very long as the Panthers answered back in their opening frame. Starting pitcher Brodie Mitchell quickly loaded the bases walking Cooper and Woo and hitting Dennis before handing the ball to Juan Espinosa. Allen sent a pitch to center field deep enough for Cooper to score the tying run.
In the Panthers broke the tie in the fifth inning when Woo hit a sacrifice fly and Grochowalski scored the third run with an RBI double over the centerfielder's head. Davenport received a very important run in the seventh inning when Dennis drew a walk, advanced to second on a fielder's choice and scored on a throwing error attempting to put out Grochowalski at first.
Despite having a three-run lead, the Panthers saw it disappear in the eighth. Sain retired the first two batters but would surrender a run on two singles and a walk before handing the ball to Butzer. Butzer had trouble escaping the threat as two walks and a hit batsman forced in two runs to tie the game. Satterlee took over and just when the Racers were going to take lead with a ground ball up the middle, Dennis made a sliding effort to stop the ball and force out the runner on second to end the inning.
Davenport got the one-run lead back in their half of the eighth. Berger led off with a double and Cummings bunt single followed by a throwing error allowed pinch-runner
Connor Seymour to score the go-ahead run.
Satterlee would surrender back-to-back singles, one off a bunt, but was backed by a solid defense as a failed sacrifice bunt followed by a double play clinched the victory for the Panthers.
Post-Game Quotes – Right-handed pitcher
Colton Satterlee
On coming into game two with the bases loaded after surrendering the walk-off homerun: “Same thing as what's going on in my mind: I got to go out there and play my game. I got to throw strikes and get the job done.”
On Derek Dennis' diving effort to prevent UNOH from scoring the go-ahead run in the eighth: “He's been huge making plays up the middle like he did tonight.”
On the ninth of game two: “Usually one hit doesn't bother me. We know they are going to get the bunt down and they did. I was expecting to get the out at first but I got a little rattled. I did buckle down and got the job done.”
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