The EP Panther baseball team returned home on Tuesday looking to end their thirteen game losing skid. Despite getting just three hits, it was enough as Evan Steimle pitched an excellent game in EP’s 2-0 win.
Steimle found himself in a jam in the first inning as the 7-23 Rebels had two on and one out. The right hander then collected a pair of strikeouts to end the inning.
The Panthers threatened in their first at bat as two Rebel errors and a walk, loaded the bases with two outs but a foul out ended the threat.
In the second, Landon VanDeWostine earned a walk, which was followed by an infield error and a passed ball, that put runners on second and third. Braedyn Frank was hit by a pitch to load the bases for the second straight inning with two outs, but a strikeout ended the scoring chance.
Stark County started the fourth inning with a double, but a fielder’s choice, and back-to-back strikeouts by Steimle kept it a scoreless game.
EP got their first base hit of the afternoon as Richard Carreno singled and stole second. With two outs, Steimle took a walk and advanced to second on defensive indifference. So, for the third time in the game EP had a scoring threat with two outs. Carreno scored the game’s first run on a steal of home and Steimle scored on a single by Sawyer Copeland to give the Panthers a 2-0 lead.
EP would make the lead hold up as Steimle picked up two more ks in the seventh, his eighth and ninth of the game, to give the Panthers their first win in thirteen games. He allowed 5 hits, 2 walks, and no runs.
EP had just 3 hits in the game and took 4 walks.
The Panthers (6-15-1) will now look to start a winning streak as they will host Hall on Thursday.
