Panthers trounce Braves in shut-out

Posted: Tuesday, April 20, 2010 9:55 pm | Updated: 10:42 pm, Mon Apr 26, 2010.


by Peter Adelsen

RUSSIAVILLE- The Western Panthers could do no wrong against MIC conference rival Maconquah Braves on Tuesday winning 16-0 in 5 innings.

The Panthers took quick work on Braves' pitcher senior Mark Beebe in his first start of the season. In the first inning, Beebe fell behind the Western hitters as he threw 50 pitches on the way to the Panthers sending 11 hitters to the plate and scoring 7 runs on 4 hits. After Beebe walked juniors Damon Reel and Connor Love, senior Mike Jakubowicz began the scoring with his RBI single as Reel scored in the first inning and it was all Western from that point on.

The Braves got its first hit of the game from senior Michael Brooks in the second inning, but finished with a total of three hits in the game with back-to-back hits from seniors Jordan Calendine and Caleb Green in the fourth inning.

The Panthers had solid play from its hitters and pitchers throughout the game. Western starting pitcher sophomore Adam Bolen got the win allowing one hit through three innings and struck out five batters. Western's relief pitchers only allowed two hits over the remaining two innings. Western finished with 16 runs on 16 hits. Jakubowicz smashed a three-run home run in the fourth inning and junior Clay O'Neal followed him with a deep shot of his own to increase Western's lead to 16-0.

Every Western player had some part in the scoring in the evening. The Panthers were led by senior Matt Reida, Love, Jakubowicz and sophomore Adam Bolen who each had multiple hits.

"We just wanted to come out and be the aggressor and we're hitting the ball really well," Western coach Ty Calloway said. "We're a little concerned with the number of innings pitched this week, so those five-innings games help with arms. Everybody who played today, played well. This team is just going to get better and better."

Maconaquah fell behind early and was never in the game from that point on.

"Our biggest problem is that we fell behind at the plate and on the pitching mound," Maconaquah coach Dustin Hays said. "When you do that against Western they are going to hit the ball. That was one of the biggest problems falling behind to a good hitting team and once they got on base they took advantage of what we gave them."

Western (4-1) travels to Twin Lakes Wednesday for a 5 p.m. start and Maconaquah (1-3) travels to Northfield on Thursday with the first pitch at 5 p.m.

Scores by inning:

1 2 3 4 5 Runs Hits

Maconaquah 0 0 0 0 0 0 3

Western 7 0 2 7 X 16 16

Hitting statistics:

Maconquah-

20- Frantz 0/2, BB

1- Shaffer 0/2

16- Calendine 1/2

7- Green 1/2

25- Allen 0/2

3- Brooks 1/1, BB

27- Comp 0/2

2- Wolf 0/1

6- Murphy 0/1

28- Beebe 0/1

11- Ellers 0/1

Western-

11- Reida 2/4 (2-2B, 3RBI, R)

8- Reel 1/3 (1B, R, BB)

4- Love 2/2 (2-1B, RBI, SB, BB)

7- Ennis 1/1 (1B, RBI, R)

15- Jakubowicz 3/4 (2-1B, HR, 3RBI, 2R)

19- O'Neal 1/3 (HR, 2R, BB)

16- Bolen 3/3 (2B, 2-1B, 3RBI, 2R)

12- Platt 0/1 (R, BB)

20- Bugher 1/2 (1B, R)

10- Kuntz 1/2 (1B, RBI, R)

5- LaFollette 1/1 (2B, RBI, R, BB)

3- Pingleton 0/1 (RBI)