BB: SLIAC: St Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[theoneandonly]

they do but obviously that department doesnt function too well

[SLIAC Observer]

Greenville - McKendree update.

5th inning - Greenville up 5-2.  Zac Atkins just hit 3 run HR.

[VideoDawg]

Go Panthers I hope the pitching holds up

[SLIAC Observer]

Greenville - McKendree update.  Not good news for the Panthers.

Final:
McKendree 10 Greenville 7

[VideoDawg]

What happened? Obviously the pitching?? Errors? 

[SLIAC Observer]

My source tells me pitching.

[VideoDawg]

That may be their Achilles heel all season long. But it being early in the year the coach probably wanted to see what he had. I hope he didn't sacrifice a win for a look see at a lower teir bull pen pitcher. 

[SLIAC Observer]

Maybe 1PantherFan can give us more info and his perspective.  I was not at game, and just got bits and pieces via text.

I'd like to hear more about the game as well.

[VideoDawg]

Ouch! The game was tied in the 8th. The McKendree website has a summary but no box score yet.

[ready2win]

Nice try Panthers its still early in the season. But on another SLIAC note Maryville fell to Lincoln University (MO) 6-3. 2 SLIAC teams open the season 2day and both go 0-2. But on a positive note McKendree is a NAIA and Lincoln University is a NCAA Division II both scholarship schools so losing by 3 to both teams isn't all too bad.

[VideoDawg]

I don't know how many games lincoln had under its belt but it is tough to come out and play your first game against a team that has played a half dozen times in the cold and come out on top. Greenville had a tough chore today.   

[VideoDawg]

Lincoln had 6 scheduled games prior to Maryville.

[#1PantherFan]

Greenville 020 030 002 - 7 7 4
McKendree 000 201 25X - 10 14 2

Greenville Hitting: Mike Scott 1-3 2B 2RBI, Kyle Hobar 1-4 2B 1RBI, Zac Atkins 2-5 HR 3RBI, Ross Cook 1-1 2B 1RBI, Justin Hubbard 1-3

McKendree Hitting: Calvin O'Rear 2-5, Adam Davinroy 1-5 2B 2RBI, Joe Dickman 1-5, Kory Peppenhorst 2-3, Craig Session 3-5 2B HR 5RBI, Ryan Meyer 1-4 2B 2RBI, Warren Militello 1-1 HR 1RBI, Dusty Schallenberg 3-4 2B

Greenville Pitching: Andy Rincker 4.0IP 2R 1ER 5H 0BB 2K, Matt Leefers 3.0IP 3R 3ER 5H 3BB 2K, Eric Heiden (L) 0.2IP 5R 2ER 3H 1BB 0K, Zach Miller 0.1IP 0R 0ER 1H 0BB 0K

McKendree Pitching: Cole Schrage 4.0IP 2R 2ER 2H 3BB 3K, Luke Poston 0.0IP 3R 3ER 1H 2BB 0K, Brandon Holtmann 1.0IP 0R 0ER 0H 0BB 1K, Ryan Uhe 1.0IP 0R 0ER 0H 1BB 2K, Mark Chapman 1.0IP 0R 0ER 1H 1BB 1K, Dakota Schutt (W) 1.0IP 0R 0ER 1H 0BB 1K, Eric Gentz 1.0IP 2R 2ER 2H 1BB 3K

Good first effort by the Panthers. They have had just a couple of days outdoors before this game. Took an early 2-0 lead on Scott's two-out double. Rincker pitched well for 4 innings. Atkins' 3 run HR to the opposite field put them on top. Leefers gave up a 1-out solo shot to Session in the 6th and then walked the next two but worked out of it with a K and a comebacker. In the 7th a bunt single , a 1-out seeing eye single and a walk loaded them up for McKendree and 2-run single by Session tied it up. Leefers got out of further trouble with a nice 1-6-3 DP.
Militello lead off HR in the 8th put McKendree on top to stay. Another bunt single and an error opened the floodgates for four more runs.
Like I said, I thought it was a good first effort against a good NAIA school, despite their 0-7 record coming in. I think GC's defense will tighten up as the season progresses, even without Neece I think we will be able to put some runs on the board, and the pitching will eventually benefit from both. Rincker pitched very well today and Leefers (as I've seen him do for 14-15 years  ) pitched out of some jams with minimal damage.  

[VideoDawg]

Thanks for the report. Like I said above it is tough coming in and facing a NAIA school that has several games in after just a little outside practice. We will be hearing more from Greenville as the season goes on.

[theoneandonly]

After two great games to start off the season, it will be interesting to see how the rest of the SLIAC plays this weekend.