GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Corey Murphy and Jerry Ferris both threw six innings in their outings, Matt Priebe went 6-for-8 with six RBI as the No. 13 Davenport baseball team picked up an 8-2 and 12-4 doubleheader sweep over No. 20 Point Park (Pa.) in the season debut of the Farmers Insurance Athletic Complex Wednesday.
 
Davenport improves to 11-2 on the year and will continue the homestand this weekend with a three-game series against Viterbo (Wis.). Game one is Saturday at 1 p.m.
 
Game 1 – Davenport 8, Point Park 2
The Panthers jumped on the board in the first inning when Brendan Bender reached on a two-out walk, stole second and scored on Matt Priebe's double to left. Although the Pioneers evened the score one run apiece in the third, the Panthers answered back in their half of the inning when Zack Sardellitti drove in two runs with a double down the right field line.
 
Leading 4-1 heading into the home half of the sixth, Davenport put the game out of Point Park's reach. After Ryan Manning hit a double to right center and Dre Celestijn followed with a single to left, Bender drove in Manning with an RBI single and Priebe added two more with his second two-bagger of the day to take a 8-1 lead.
 
Murphy (2-1) took the Panthers into the seventh inning allowing an earned run on three hits and walks each. He also finished with nine strikeouts.
 
Game 2 – Davenport 10, Point Park 3
The Panthers got a run in all but the fifth inning. Celestijn hit a one-out double down the left field line to set up a two-run shot by Priebe to left field in the first inning. Nolan Wilson would lead off the second with a two-bagger to right and the third run came across on back-to-back sacrifice bunts.
 
Davenport would do serious damage in the third. Runners would set up two runners in scoring position after a Celestijn leadoff single followed by a Bender double. Manning would bring them both home with a double before a two-run single by Conner Seymour followed by another RBI knock by Cody Greear gave the Panthers a 9-0 lead.
 
In only his second start this season, Ferris (2-0) carried the Panthers to the sixth inning allowing two earned runs on four hits and two walks. He also punched out seven batters.
 
Baseball Contact: Rick Hoskin | 616-871-6180 | rhoskin@davenport.edu
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