Mt. Pleasant opens week with trio of wins on the road

The Mt. Pleasant Panthers are riding a wave of momentum this week, racking up three impressive victories.

On Monday, they swept Keokuk in a Southeast Conference doubleheader, winning 4-2 and 15-2. The following night, they shut out Oskaloosa 6-0 in a dominant all-around performance.

In Tuesday's win over Oskaloosa, the Panthers struck early with a run in the top of the first but were held scoreless until the fifth.

That’s when their offense came alive, plating three more to extend the lead to 4-0. They added two insurance runs in the seventh to seal it.

Zach Newton was stellar on the mound, tossing a complete-game shutout while giving up just six hits. The Panther defense backed him up with a clean performance in the field.

Offensively, the team collected just five hits, but made them count. Cooper Coleman led the charge with two doubles and four RBIs.

J.C. Sitar also chipped in with an RBI, while Grayson Lowery scored twice. Brayton Hutson, Jack Newman, Brody Clark, and Cadin Beavers each crossed the plate as well.

On Monday, Mt. Pleasant had to battle from behind in game one against Keokuk. The Chiefs led 1-0 after two innings and 2-1 after three, but the Panthers surged ahead with three unanswered runs in the fifth and sixth to take the win.

Lowery had three hits in the game, while Sitar and Newton drove in runs to help seal it.

Game two of the doubleheader was a runaway. Mt. Pleasant exploded for 15 runs in the first three innings ,including a nine-run second, and cruised to a five-inning victory.

Now sitting at 7-5 on the season, Mt. Pleasant looks to keep the hot streak alive when they face Burlington on Thursday.