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Washington Evening Journal
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Panthers walked off in FM, Trojans in control of SEC
Mt. Pleasant road loss puts Fairfield alone in front
FORT MADISON — A Fort Madison rally may be the deciding factor in the 2024 Southeast Conference baseball race.
Fort Madison’s Hunter Cresswell walked off Mt. Pleasant with a bases-loaded two-out RBI single, that completed a rally for 5-4 win for Fort Madison, just three days after getting swept in Mt. Pleasant to start the series.
The Panthers led the Bloodhounds 4-2 heading into the seventh inning, but Fort Madison tied the game on a pair of bases-loaded walks and the contest went into extra innings at 4-4.
Mt. Pleasant’s Payton Hagans had a good start on the mound. He nearly threw a complete game but had to be lifted with one out left, as Payton Walker inherited a two-on, two-out situation. Both of Hagans’ runners would score, and Walker was tagged with the loss after a run crossed in the eighth.
The loss dropped Mt. Pleasant to 18-7 overall, but more importantly the Panthers are now 10-4 in the SEC. Fairfield’s win over Keokuk has the Trojans alone at the top of the conference, at 11-3.
Both Fairfield and Mt. Pleasant have one game to make up. Fairfield will continue a rain delayed contest against Washington on Tuesday night, and if the already leading Trojans can close out the win, they will clinch the conference title alone.
If the Demons can upset the Trojans, Mt. Pleasant will have to beat Burlington on the road to get a share of the title.
