LIBERTY, Mo.- Drury split a doubleheader at William Jewell on Sunday as they lost game one 10-9 but took game two 18-6 in Liberty, Missouri. The Panthers took three of four in the weekend series marking the third straight weekend Drury has won a conference series.
The Panthers are now 23-9 and 9-3 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. Drury ended the day in a first place tie in the GLVC-West with Quincy (20-11, 9-3). William Jewell moved their record to 14-15 and 7-5 in the league.
In game one, William Jewell broke a 9-9 tie scoring the winning run on a wild pitch in the bottom of the sixth inning of a scheduled seven-inning game to win 10-9. The Cardinals spoiled a Drury rally that saw the Panthers come from seven runs behind. William Jewell had a 7-0 lead after two innings but Drury put up seven runs in the third on the strength of home runs from Shane Benes, Ryan Kayhill, and Dylan Bradshaw, and a RBI double from Caleb Essick.
After taking a 9-7 lead, the Panthers rallied to tie the game again as they took advantage of a William Jewell error in the fourth to score two runs to even the game.
The Cardinals loaded the bases in the sixth and scored on an Alex Austin wild pitch. The loss was charged to Avery Jennings (1-1) while Zach Hutcherson (3-3) got the win in relief for William Jewell.
Kayhill went 3 for 4 for Drury two runs, three RBI’s and a home run. Garrett McKinzie went 4 for 4 for the Cardinals with two home runs, five RBI’s and four runs scored.
Drury scored a season high 18 runs in game two for an 18-6 win. The Panthers blew open an 8-4 lead with a seven-run eighth inning.
Shane Benes had his third multi-home run game of the season as he went deep twice in game two to go 3 for 6 with four RBI’s, a double and three runs scored. Benes now has 12 homers for the season breaking a Drury single season record previously held by Luke Tewes (2015) and Matt Borgschulte (2013) who both had 11.
Ryan Kayhill went 4 for 6 with a home run, four runs scored, 3 RBI’s and a double. Clayton Engel hit two doubles for Drury to go 3 for 5 with two runs and two RBI’s.
Austin Simms (4-2) got the win for the Panthers going seven innings allowing seven hits and five runs with two walks and four strikeouts.
Drury returns to action on Friday when they open a four-game series with a doubleheader at Quincy.Game one starts at noon in Quincy, Illinois.
