Daily Newsletters
Account
Washington Evening Journal
111 North Marion Avenue
Washington, IA 52353
319-653-2191
Panther baseball wins 8th-straight
Mt. Pleasant sweeps Keokuk, beats Alburnett on the road
MT. PLEASANT — The weekend gave Mt. Pleasant baseball fans plenty to be happy about, and the squad had already created some good vibes early this season.
Coming into Thursday night with an 8-0 record, the Panthers kept their winning ways going with an 11-4 win over Keokuk to polish off a series sweep. Mt. Pleasant knocked off Alburnett, 12-6, one night later.
Mt. Pleasant broke a 2-2 tie with a three-run third inning and never looked back on Thursday night. The Panthers then piled on with two runs in the fifth and four in the sixth to stretch the lead to seven.
Payton Hagans was solid on the mound, striking out 11 Keokuk batters and giving up just four runs (two earned) over 6.1 innings to earn the victory. Liam Marshall came in to shut the door in the seventh.
“They started piecing me up at the beginning,” Hagans said. “I just had to get in that rhythm, find it and get going.”
Hagans also had a nice night at the plate, going 1-for-3 with three RBIs. Zach Newton was 3-for-4 with three RBIs. Brayton Hutson went 2-for-2 with a double and an RBI, and Ben Newton knocked in one run.
“Our kids are putting the bat on the ball, just like the other night,” said Mt. Pleasant head coach Brent Broeker. “We have kids all up and down the lineup that can do that.”
After the big win over Keokuk, the Panthers traveled to Alburnett for a non-conference game on Friday night. Mt. Pleasant blew a 6-0 lead in that game, but then broke a 6-6 tie with a six-run seventh inning.
Payton Walker had a big game on Friday, going 3-for-4 with three RBIs. Carson Andreasen had a pair of hits and a pair of RBIs. Cooper Coleman knocked in two, and both Hagans and Ben Newton knocked in one.
Both Newton brothers pitched for Mt. Pleasant in that win. Zach Newton started the game and gave up five runs (four earned) over four innings. Ben Newton got the win, giving up one earned run over three frames.
Mt. Pleasant takes an 11-2 overall record into Monday night. The Panthers moved to an SEC-leading 6-0.
