Panther baseball downed in game 1, gets back up in 2

Trevor Wellington (pictured) and the Mt. Pleasant baseball team split with SEC foe Keokuk on the road on Thursday, June 23, 2022. (Andy Krutsinger/The Union)

KEOKUK — Mt. Pleasant baseball took a journey South on Thursday night to square off with the Chiefs of Keokuk.

By the end of the Southeast Conference battle, the Panthers completed a season split with Chiefs falling in game one of the conference doubleheader 10-7 and winning in game two 11-6.

After two innings in the opening contest, the Panther and Chiefs were locked at 1-1.

In the third, Keokuk took control.

Mt. Pleasant grabbed a 2-1 lead in the top of the inning, but Keokuk would put together its best scoring inning of the night with six total runs making across home plate.

After taking the early lead in the inning, the Panthers now trailed 7-2 heading into the fourth.

Up until the games end and over the next four innings, the Panthers outscored the Chiefs 5-3.

Unfortunately for Mt. Pleasant, they ran out of outs and Keokuk took game one.

Trevor Wellington led the Panthers with two hits in the loss, including an RBI. Carter Amos notched himself a double and a pair of RBIs.

Wellington took the loss from the hill pitching three innings, while allowing seven runs on four hits, eight walks and one strikeout.

In game two, the Panthers found themselves down late, but this time around it was Mt. Pleasant who had the scoring outburst.

The two teams went three scoreless innings, before Keokuk took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth.

It was anyone’s game for the next two innings.

Mt. Pleasant scored two to tie it up in the top of the fifth. In the sixth, the Panthers took their first lead of the game with another pair of runs, 4-2. Keokuk had an answer though, as in the bottom half of the sixth the Chiefs scored three runs to retake control, 5-4.

The Panthers peaked at just the right time.

In the final inning of the night, the Panthers poured in seven total runs, matching their first game total. Mt. Pleasant turned a deficit into a 11-5 lead.

Keokuk scored one run in the bottom of the inning, but Mt. Pleasant was able to hold of Keokuk for a nightcap victory.

Payton Hagans threw on the mound for 5.2 innings, giving up four runs on six hits with six walks and four strikeouts.

Lincoln Henriksen propelled the Panthers with a triple and three RBIs. Amos finished with the night with two RBIs and a double.

The Panthers are now 7-14 (6-10) on the season. They will play host to SEC leading Burlington on Monday.