Home runs push Pekin past IMS

KALONA ? The Pekin baseball team trailed IMS 4-3 headed into the seventh inning Friday, but head coach Jeff Eeling was confident with the heart of the lineup due up.

?I feel like if we?re in that situation we have a chance to score some runs, and they?ve proved it time and time again,? Eeling said of seniors Tater Clubb, Bailey Donovan and Derek Morales.

Friday night was no different. Clubb opened the seventh with a homer to knot the contest up, Donovan singled and Morales homered in the winning runs to hand Pekin its second straight victory, a 6-4 win over IMS.

Clubb tossed four innings of one-run ball to earn the win. Clubb struck out five batters after coming in for starter Josh Sterling in the fourth inning.

Also for Pekin, Thomas Slaney collected two hits, and Graham Wittrock, Kolby Allsup and Tyson Lamb all finished with one hit each.

The Panthers (7-7, 5-2 SEISC north) continue an important stretch in conference play with a home game against Mediapolis today.

?We?ve got a stretch right now that is kind of tough,? said Eeling. ?If we want a chance in the conference race, winning tonight and tomorrow (at Highland) is a big step toward that goal.?

Pekin @ IMS

Pekin ? 2 0 0 0 0 1 3 ? 6 3 2

IMS ? 1 0 2 0 1 0 0 ? 4 6 4

PEKIN ? Morales 2-4, HR; Clubb 1-4, HR; Donovan 2-4; Slaney 2-4, 2B; Wittrock 1-3; Allsup 1-4; Lamb 1-4

Pitching ? Sterling 3 INN, 3H, 2ER, 3ER, 5BB; Clubb (W) 4 INN, 1R, 0ER, 5K, 3BB