GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Zack Sardellitti went 3-for-5 with four RBI, four different pitchers combined for 15 strikeouts as Davenport's second-ranked baseball team picked up two victories over crosstown foes Aquinas 6-2 and 4-0 to sweep the four-game Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference season series Wednesday afternoon. The victories push the Panthers program-record win streak to 24 straight games.
 
Davenport (33-2, 17-0 WHAC) were held to only one double in their 12 hits on the chilly afternoon at the Farmers Insurance Athletic Complex.
 
Game 1 – Davenport 6, Aquinas 2
Aquinas (12-17, 7-10 WHAC) got an unearned run across with the leadoff runner Colin Brand scoring from second on Mark Lepri's single to right center.
 
The Panthers erased the deficit in the second and added two more in the second. Matt Priebe opened the frame with a single to left and Zack Sardellitti drew a walk after. A poor return throw to the pitcher allowed Priebe to take third and scored on a wild pitch. Connor Seymour reached base on a throwing error but the wild throw allowed the speedy shortstop to reach third and score courtesy runner Matt Hoge. Dre Celestijn sent a pitch in right field foul territory more than deep enough to score the third run.
 
After the Saints cut the deficit to one in the third with an RBI single, Davenport regained the lead in its half of the inning when Sardellitti hit a sacrifice fly to right field to score in Jordan Zylstra.
 
Davenport ran away with the win scoring two more runs in the eighth. Zylstra led off reaching base on a bunt and Bender followed with a single through a hole on the left side and the two runs scored on Sardellitti's two-run single right center.
 
Corbin Clouse (3-1) threw five innings allowing one earned run on five hits and two walks but did punch out eight. Ryan Butzer and Jonathan Cheshire went the rest of the way throwing shutout innings.
 
Game 2 – Davenport 4, Aquinas 0
All four of Davenport's runs were scored in the first inning. Leadoff hitter Seymour was hit by the pitch and scored all the way from first when Zylstra's base hit into left field was bobbled. After Bender drew a walk, Priebe and Sardellitti hit back-to-back RBI singles to right and a fielder's choice brought in the fourth run.
 
Brandon MacKinnon picked up his first win on his first starting nod as a Panther after allowing only a hit and a walk in four innings. Butzer and Cheshire made returns to the mound and picked up where they left off in game one.
 
The Panthers will take their win streak to Fort Wayne, Ind., where they will face Indiana Tech this weekend. It is the first time the Panthers have visited the Warriors campus since winning their first ever WHAC Tournament title.
 
Baseball Contact: Rick Hoskin | 616-871-6180 | rhoskin@davenport.edu
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