by Josh Eyrich
The E/P Baseball Panthers traveled to Monmouth-Roseville on Thursday afternoon to face a Titans squad that on Tuesday snuck past the Panthers 3-2. Following on the heels of their closest game of the season and with Bryce VanDeWostine starting for the first time since being injured, momentum seemed to be on the Panthers side. A pitchers duel throughout, the Titans took a 1-0 lead into the last inning before late inning heroics gave the Panthers their first win of the season, 2-1.
Panther starter Bryce VanDeWostine had kept the Titans off the scoreboard the first five innings of the game. Having allowed only one hit heading into the bottom of the sixth VanDeWostine’s command seemed to disappear early in the inning. His first six pitches resulted in a hit batter and back-to-back singles. With no one out and the bases loaded VanDeWostine buckled down and got the next batter to fly out. Scored a sacrifice fly, the out gave the Titans a 1-0 lead. VanDeWostine’s command clearly was back when the following batter looked at three straight strikes for the second out, and the next batter popped out on the first pitch he saw ending the inning.
Panther centerfielder Zane Romero thought nothing of being down a run when he led off the top of the seventh with a single past third. Using a Frank fly out Romero was able to get into scoring position before a Bryce VanDeWostine bunt advanced him to third. With 2 outs and down a run, Micheal Collins got to be the man of the moment. Collins watched the first pitch go by for strike one before fighting hard to foul off the next three pitches. Down to his final strike Collins singled up the middle, scoring Romero and tying the game 1-1. Pitch hitter Nate Packer followed with walk, after an eight pitch at-bat, setting up runners on first and second for the Panthers, still with 2 outs. On the first pitch he saw Parker Rangel singled to center driving in Collins from second and giving the Panthers a 2-1 lead. An Owen Farral follow-up line out ended the inning.
With his command back VanDeWostine got three straight outs in the bottom of the seventh and secured the Panthers first win of the season.
Michael Collins had a big day at the plate going 2 for 3 with a run and a RBI. Parker Rangel went 1 for 4 with a big RBI.
On the mound it was all VanDeWostine. He threw 7 innings allowing 1 run on 3 hits while walking 1 and striking out 8.
Panther head coach Brad Tichler was glad to see his team get their first win. “The guys played well. It was a good team win!”
Next up for the Panthers is a doubleheader against Hall.
