OWENSBORO, KY: The Walsh University baseball team continued to assert its dominance in the G-MAC South Division with a strong four-game series against Kentucky Wesleyan on April 26-27 at Panther Park in Owensboro, KY. The Cavaliers (17-23, 15-12 G-MAC) won three of the four games, maintaining first place in the division with just one series remaining, while Kentucky Wesleyan (21-23, 13-13 G-MAC) fought hard but fell short.
Game 1: Walsh 4, Kentucky Wesleyan 2
Walsh opened the series with a tightly contested 4-2 victory. Brandon Cahill (W, 6-3) pitched seven solid innings, allowing two runs on nine hits while striking out six. The Cavaliers took the lead early when Cam Hollobaugh launched a solo home run in the fourth inning. Walsh broke the game open in the eighth inning with clutch RBI singles from Patrick Ciccantelli and Chris Kramer, followed by an RBI fielder's choice from Brandon Hire aided by a defensive error. Hunter Hoffman earned his first save by closing out the final two innings.
Game 2: Walsh 4, Kentucky Wesleyan 0
In the second game, Walsh's pitching dominated as Alex Beyerle (W, 4-3) threw six scoreless innings, scattering six hits and striking out six. The Cavaliers jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning on an RBI triple by Brodey Acres and an RBI single by Hollobaugh. The offense added two more runs in the fifth inning on a two-RBI double by Eli Sutton. Beyerle's strong outing was complemented by a scoreless inning from reliever Marshall Shepherd, sealing the shutout.
Game 3: Walsh 5, Kentucky Wesleyan 0
Walsh completed the sweep of the first three games with a 5-0 shutout victory. Michael Niro (W, 3-0) was outstanding on the mound, throwing eight innings of three-hit, no-run ball with two strikeouts. The Cavaliers broke a scoreless tie in the eighth inning with a surge of five runs, capped by a three-run homer from Brandon Hire. Earlier in the inning, Cam Hollobaugh tripled to drive in a run, and Patrick Ciccantelli followed with an RBI double.
Game 4: Kentucky Wesleyan 12, Walsh 2
Kentucky Wesleyan bounced back in the final game with a dominant 12-2 win. The Panthers exploded for five runs in the first inning, including a grand slam by C. Gudalis, which set the tone. Walsh starter Martin Polonkay (L, 2-6) struggled early and was pulled after just two-thirds of an inning. Despite the loss, Cam Hollobaugh continued to shine offensively with a home run and a double, driving in both Walsh runs.
FOR THE CAVALIERS:
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Game 1: Cahill (7 IP, 2 ER), Hollobaugh (HR), Ciccantelli (RBI), Hire (RBI)
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Game 2: Beyerle (6 IP, 0 ER), Acres (3B, RBI), Sutton (2 RBI)
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Game 3: Niro (8 IP, 0 ER), Hire (3-run HR), Hollobaugh (3B, RBI)
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Game 4: Hollobaugh (HR, 2 RBI), Polonkay (L, 2-6)
LOCATION: Owensboro, KY (Panther Park)
GAME SCORES:
RECORDS: Walsh: 17-23 (15-12 G-MAC); Kentucky Wesleyan: 21-23 (13-13 G-MAC)
NEXT UP: Walsh looks to clinch the G-MAC South Division title in its final series against Cedarville later this week.
