Panthers put the paws on Chiefs

KEOKUK - The Mt. Pleasant baseball team came out guns blazing on Tuesday night in their first official Southeast Conference doubleheader. The Panthers pounded Keokuk in two games, rolling 16-0 in Game 1 and 19-2(6) in Game 2.

The Panther offense got off to a relatively slow start in Game 1. Mt. Pleasant tallied one run each in the second and third innings and tacked on two in the fourth. Midway through the game, the Panthers held a 4-0 advantage.

Mt. Pleasant pitching and defense continued to hold the Chiefs at bay over the final three innings, giving the Panther offense enough time to pour it on in their final three at-bats. The Panthers put up three more runs in the third inning, one in the sixth and eight in the seventh.

Dalton Gardner finished Game 1 2-for-2 with three RBIs. Rylan Seberg was 3-for-6 with a double and two RBIs. Nic Coble had a double and two RBIs. Sawyer Carrasco and Corbin Broeker each knocked in two runners, and both Chase Williamson and Clayton Lowery finished with one RBI.

Seberg picked up the win on the mound, throwing two innings and giving up no hits and one walk, while striking out three batters. Coble gave up two hits and finished with six strikeouts over two and two-thirds innings. Williamson gave up two walks and struck out one over one inning, and Jack Johnson went one and a third innings, giving up no walks or hits, and striking out one.

Game 2 was tight through the first three innings. Mt. Pleasant took an early lead with three runs in the second inning, but Keokuk cut that lead to 3-2 in the bottom of the second. After a scoreless third, the Panther lead was still at one run.

Mt. Pleasant's offense found its groove again in the fourth innings, and the Panthers never looked back. They scored five runs in the fourth, two in the fifth and nine in the sixth to end the night one frame short.

Corbin Broeker had a big game at the plate in Game 2. He finished 2-for-3 with four RBIs to lead the Panthers. Seberg knocked in three RBIs. Lowery went 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Brennan Bender was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. Jaxon Hoyle went 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Johnson and Coble knocked in one run each, and Will Edeker collected two hits.

Broeker picked up the win on the mound, giving up one hit over three shutout innings and striking out three batters in the process. Hoyle gave up two runs on three hits and three walks while striking out one. Lowery threw one shutout inning and struck out the side.