Panthers lose in extra innings to Highland

PACKWOOD ? A busy week for the Pekin baseball team began Monday evening with a 4-3 loss at the hands of Highland.

Starter Josh Sterling kept the Panthers in the season opener, pitching them into the eighth inning while allowing no earned runs. The senior struck out 10 batters.

?Josh gave us a good effort,? Pekin head coach Jeff Eeling said. ?He went seven innings and probably could?ve gone nine if we wanted him to, and he probably wanted to.?

Despite Sterling?s best efforts, the Panthers went into the eighth tied 3-all thanks to three unearned Highland runs crossing the plate in the third inning.

The pitchers? duel ended in the eighth inning when Pekin reliever Derek Morales surrendered the go-ahead run, and the Panthers were unable to answer in the bottom of the inning.

Pekin?s Tater Clubb went 1-4 with two RBI and Bailey Donovan had the third RBI. Colton Swanson, Graham Wittrock and Petie Clubb scored one run apiece.

Despite the season-opening loss, Eeling said he felt the Panthers were well ahead of where they should be.

?I was pretty pleased with the overall effort. Usually I come out of the first game with a long checklist of what we need to do, and the reality is I don?t have a long checklist today,? he said.

Pekin (0-1, 0-1 SEISC north) continues its week-long homestand with a game against Winfield-Mount Union today.

Pekin vs. Highland

HIGHLAND? 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 1 ? 4 7 0

PEKIN ? 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 ? 3 4 1

PEKIN ? T. Clubb 1-4, 2RBI; Donovan 1-4, RBI; Lamb 1-3; Slaney 1-4; Swanson R; G. Wittrock R; P. Clubb R

Pitching ? Sterling 7 INN, 6 BB, 3R, 0ER, 10 K; Morales (L) 1 INN, BB, 3 K