EASTLAKE, OH. – The Birmingham-Southern baseball team fell 11-10 to #5 Wisconsin-Whitewater in a back-and-forth World Series elimination game on Sunday.
In a high stakes elimination game, the Panthers looked to advance to the World Series semifinal matchup with a win over Wisconsin-Whitewater on Sunday. Neither team scored in the top of the first with BSC also not able to score their first run in the top of the second.
The Warhawks got on the board first with two solo homers and an RBI single up the middle to take command 3-0 early. However, the Panthers answered with an Eli Steadman two-run bomb in the top of the third to put the Panthers right back in it.
Tams Mullins came in relief for the Panthers in the bottom of the third and held Whitewater scoreless. In the bottom of the inning, last night’s hero Jackson Webster crushed his third homer of the World Series to right center field to tie the game at 3. Ian Hancock then followed the solo shot with a double down the left field line with still no outs. In the next at bat, Charlie Banks continued his terrific World Series with an RBI triple to give BSC their first lead of the day. Banks then came home after Jakob Zito singled through the left side to give the Panthers a two-run lead.
The home runs continued in the bottom of the fourth as the Warhawks tied the game at five on a two-out two-run shot to right center field. However, the game would not be tied for long.
In the top of the fifth, Andrew Dutton broke the tie on an RBI double to center field to score Parker Ladd. Jackson Webster’s incredible run then continued as followed with an RBI single to right field to give the Panthers a two-run cushion. Up 7-5, Birmingham-Southern was not done in the fifth, Jakob Zito once again singled through the left side to give the Panthers eight before Ty Truett’s sac fly put his team up 9-5.
Mullins remained in the game for the Panthers and pitched a scoreless bottom of the fifth. In the top of the sixth, Andrew Dutton singled with two outs to put Jackson Webster at the plate again. The Chelsea native delivered for the third time in as many at bats with an RBI double to center field to give BSC double digits on the day and a five-run lead.
‘Southern did not score for the first time since the second inning with a scoreless seventh. In the bottom of the inning, the Warhawks trimmed into the BSC lead with a two-out two-run double to left center field. Hansen McCown then came in relief for the Panthers and recorded a huge strikeout to keep BSC up three with two innings to go.
In the succeeding inning, Whitewater once again rallied with two outs. A double followed by a two-run homer brought the Warhawks even at 10. Jacob Fields then came in relief and recorded a fly out to set up for a very exciting final inning.
In the bottom of the ninth, Whitewater hit a solo homer in the first at bat to end an incredible baseball game and unfortunately the end to an inspiring and joyous run for BSC.
