Drury Completes Weekend Sweep Over Truman Baseball

Game 1: Drury 3, Truman 2 || Box Score
Game 2: Drury 3, Truman 0 || Box Score
Game 3: Drury 8, Truman 2 || Box Score
Game 4: Drury 10, Truman 2 || Box Score

2014 Schedule || 2014 Season Stats || Truman Record: 12-17 (8-10 GLVC)

KIRKSVILLE, Mo. – The Drury Panthers extended their winning streak to 14-straight and in the process handed the Truman Bulldogs their first series sweep in GLVC play with an 8-2 and 10-2 win on Sunday afternoon. The Bulldogs will be back at it on Tuesday hosting Lincoln (Mo.) University in a single-game on Tuesday at 3:00 p.m.

The conference's top hitting team coming into the weekend hit .373 for the four games with just four of their 47 hits going for extra bases. Meanwhile, Truman hit .207 during the series and had 27 strikeouts to just eight for the Panthers. Drury maintained their stolen base lead over the Bulldogs by one with each team swiping five.

Truman moved into a tie for sixth in single-season stolen bases with 62 for the season while Zak Larkin inched closer to the Bulldog career record with his 42nd. He is second all alone in career steals and is chasing Adam Davis' total of 51.

Despite a 2-for-10 weekend at the plate, Paul Trenhaile surpassed Brian Walters for most chances by a fielder. Trenhaile had 962 chances while patrolling first base for the Bulldogs the past three seasons.

Drury was 18-of-42 (.429) with runners in scoring position while Truman was 5-of-37 (.135).

Game 1 Recap: The two team's top starters battled in a tight ballgame in the opener. Trevor Richards tossed six innings while striking out six Bulldogs and Mark Roberts pitched eight but was tagged with the loss.

It was scoreless through four until Caleb Cole led off with walk and went to second on a single by Payton Reed. When Luke Tewes struck out on a pitch in the dirt, the runners moved up to second and third. A wild pitch plated the first run of the game and an RBI single from Bobby Lang put the Panthers up 2-0.

Jarod Hahn doubled to start the sixth and went to third on a wild pitch. Chris Zrostlik brought in Hahn when the infield conceded the run but the second baseman booted the ball allowing Zrostlik to reach. Zrostlik stole second and Blake Deaton drilled a double down the left field line to score Zrostlik and tie the game at two.

It stayed that way until the eighth when Emilio Villanueva doubled to start the inning and was advanced on a sac bunt to third. Nick Thimesch, the conference's top hitter; delivered with a double to right field for what stood up to be the game-winning RBI.

Truman put their leadoff hitter on in the bottom of the inning to no avail and got a runner on in the ninth but Gage Jacobs pitched the final two innings to record the save. Ryan Colombo earned the win in relief.

Game 2 Recap: Three straight singles with one-out in the first allowed the Panthers to grab an early 1-0 lead and Will Landsheft silenced the Truman bats to pick up the complete-game shutout.

Caleb Cole had the RBI single in the first.

Truman put their first two hitters on in the bottom of the inning on an error and hit-by-pitch but after a fielder's choice, Landsheft fanned Jerod Hahn and Chris Zrostlik.

Corban Williams got the first hit of the game in the third for Truman and after Paul Trenhaile was hit, both were stranded again on another K by Hahn from Landsheft.

The Panthers strung together three straight hits to start the fifth, two via bunts. Cole brought in his second run on a sac fly to center and Payton Reed knocked a basehit up the middle for the third run.

Truman stranded two more runners in the sixth and left one in the seventh as Landsheft closed the door to earn his team leading fifth win of the season.

Alex Hoffman went the distance for the Bulldogs but was tagged with the loss to fall to 3-2 on the season.

Game 3 Recap: The Drury Panthers raced out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first and Kevin Sweeney pitched no-hit ball through five innings as the Panthers took Sunday's opener 8-2.

Payton Reed singled in a pair of runs in the first and Taylor Bax hit a sac fly to give Drury the early lead.

Bax homered to right in a three-run third inning and Colton Jones and Nate Thimesch had RBI singles in a two-run sixth.

Sweeney cruised with four strikeouts and had a no-hitter going until Adam Bainbridge hit a solid shot to left field to lead off the sixth.

Paul Trenhaile scored the Bulldogs first run in the bottom of the seventh on fielding error and Kyle Smith scored the second after singling to right and scoring on a hit by Will Nader.

Logan Moose took the loss after going just three innings and was followed to the hill by Tyler Spencer and Tyler McCreary.

Game 4 Recap: Drury completed the sweep with a late barrage to win the nightcap 10-2. The game was 4-2 in the fifth when Truman had the bases loaded and no outs but winning pitcher Austin Faulconer by striking out two and getting TJ Wood to fly out.

The Panthers scored four times in the third, one on a sac fly and a two-out hit from Payton Reed and a two-run home run by Luke Tewes.

Truman answered back with two of their own in the bottom of the inning with Zak Larking drawing a leadoff walk and going to third on a single by Corban Williams. Paul Trenhaile hit a sac fly scoring Larkin and Dave Gambino grounded out to plate Williams.

Cody Gardner kept the Panthers hitless in the fourth and fifth innings and Larkin started the bottom of the fifth with a base hit. After stealing second, Williams walked and Trenhaile blooped a single to left to load the bases with no outs. Faulconer got Gambino swinging for out one and Blake Deaton looking for out two before Wood's fly ball to center ended the threat.

Gardner had a hitless sixth but Truman's bottom half was hampered by a double-play.

The Panthers had nine of their 16 hits in the final three innings and broke things open with a five-run ninth.

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