Ed Beach (Drury Sports Information) FORT SMITH, Ark.- Drury exploded for a 10-run seventh inning in a 14-5 win over Arkansas-Ft. Smith on Friday at Crowder Field in Ft. Smith, Arkansas.
The Panthers won their sixth straight to improve to 7-2 and handed the Lions their eighth consecutive loss as UAFS fell to 5-10.
Trailing 1-0, the Panthers tied the game at 1-1 in the seventh on a single by Devan O’Bryan that scored Ryan Colombo. Moments later, Caleb Essick slammed a three-run home run to put Drury ahead for good. Drury still scored six more times in the inning as the Panthers got RBI singles by Colombo and Ryan Herron. O’Bryan came back to the plate in the inning and capped Drury’s scoring in the frame with a double that drove in three more runs.
Colombo (3-0) got the win for Drury. The senior went 8 innings allowing 6 hits and one run with 3 walks and 6 strikeouts.
KK Daniel went 4 for 5 at the plate for the Panthers. O’Bryan went 3 for 4 with four runs batted in and Nic Perkins went 3 for 5 with two runs and two RBI’s.
Drury banged out 19 hits in the game. In addition to Essick’s home run, Tyler James hit a two-run homer for the Panthers late in the game.
The three-game series concludes tomorrow with a doubleheader. The two teams will play a pair of nine-inning games starting at noon.
