Central Lee hands Pekin loss at home

PACKWOOD ? Pekin took a little too long to get going Tuesday and fell to Central Lee 13-7 in non-conference baseball.

The Golden Hawks grabbed a 4-0 lead after two innings and never trailed, building on the lead in the later innings while holding Pekin to six total hits. The Panthers scored six runs in the sixth inning to cut the deficit to four, but the offensive outburst proved too little, too late.

?We waited until the sixth inning to play pretty decent, and you just can?t wait until the sixth to play a ball game,? Pekin head coach Jeff Eeling said.

Josh Sterling blasted a solo homer and drew a pair of walks to lead the Panthers from inside the batter?s box. Tyson Lamb knocked in two runs on a pair of hits, and Thomas Slaney doubled home two runs. Bailey Donovan crossed home plate twice.

Tater Clubb, who allowed nine runs ? five earned ? in 5 1/3 innings, was charged with the loss. Derek Morales allowed four runs, two of which were earned, in 1 2/3 innings of relief.

The Panthers (14-13, 9-4 SEISC north) will look to put their recent losses behind them when they host top-ranked Davis County (Class 2A) today.

?I think they?re in a better frame of mind after we had a talk last night,? Eeling said of his players. ?We?d probably have 100-to-1 odds to beat Davis County, but what do we have to lose? Baseball is a funny game, and I?m looking forward to the opportunity to play them.?

Pekin vs. Central Lee

Central Lee ? 3 1 0 1 2 4 2 ? 13 13 1

Pekin ? 0 0 0 1 0 6 0 ? 7 5 5

PEKIN ? Lamb 2-4, 2RBI; Sterling 1-2, HR, RBI, R; Slaney 1-4, 2B, 2RBI, R; Donovan 1-2, 2R; Morales 1-4; Swanson R; Allsup R; Clubb R

Pitching ? Clubb (L) 5 1/3 INN, 9R, 5ER, 8H, 3K, 6BB; Morales 1 2/3 INN, 4R, 2ER, 5H, K