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MP hands Hounds 1st SEC loss
Panthers end Burlington’s conference unbeaten streak, stay perfect at home
MT. PLEASANT — It took a few more tries than Mt. Pleasant wanted, but the Panther baseball team finally has a Southeast Conference win over Burlington.
Mt. Pleasant knocked off Burlington 9-7 in SEC play on Thursday night. It was the first Panther win over the Grayhounds since the school joined the SEC ahead of the 2020 season, and the first win over Burlington in general since a 13-4 win back in 2006.
The Panthers had Ben Newton on the bump to try and keep their own undefeated home streak alive, and Newton had Burlington stumped through five innings. The Grayhounds had just one run before the sixth.
“I was throwing strikes,” Newton said. “They were hitting it, but they were just hitting it to my fielders.”
That gave the Panther offense plenty of time to build a lead. Mt. Pleasant scored five runs in the first and two in the second to take a 7-0 advantage.
“Benny was pumping strikes and getting outs,” said Mt. Pleasant head coach Brent Broeker. “And I thought our kids did a great job putting the ball in play, up and down the lineup.”
Burlington got one back in the third, but Newton helped his own cause with an RBI single in the fifth, and the Panthers held an 8-1 advantage.
It got a little dicey for the Panthers in the sixth inning. Burlington was finally able to tally a few base runners on Newton, and the Grayhounds not only scored two runs but chased Newton from the game with the bases loaded and two outs.
Leading 8-3, Mt. Pleasant turned to relief pitcher Payton Hagans, who came in and forced a fly out to stop the Burlington rally.
“I walked a few batters and got myself in a deep spot,” Newton said. “Payton came in, threw one pitch and got us out of the inning.”
That wasn’t the last time Burlington would threaten. In fact, the Grayhounds responded to a one-run Mt. Pleasant bottom of the sixth by loading the bases and sending four to the plate in the top of the seventh.
Hagans found himself back in another bind, with the lead at just 9-7 and a runner on every base, but he eventually got the third out when his breaking ball crossed the plate for strike three.
“The kid is just a competitor,” Broeker said. “He's been in big games with basketball, so when I stick him out there in those situations, even though I'm freaked out and nervous, I don't even think it bugs him.”
Newton earned the win, giving up three runs (one earned) over 5.2 innings. Hagans gave up four runs (two earned) over 1.1 frames. Both pitchers struck three batters out.
Offensively, both Newton and Payton Walker finished with a hit and two RBIs. Zerek Venghaus, Jake Ensminger, J.C. Sitar and Payson Coleman each had an RBI as well.
The win for Mt. Pleasant brought the Panthers up to 8-8 overall and 5-4 in the SEC, still three games behind Burlington for first. The Panthers will host Fairfield (8-14, 4-5) for a doubleheader on Monday night.
