Pekin falls, gets first win of season

PACKWOOD — Pekin baseball has had a up and down start to the week at the ball diamond.

In their second game of the season on Monday, the Panthers were defeated by Mediapolis, 5-3. Pekin bounced back one day later, picking up its first win of the season with a victory over Van Buren County, 12-8.

In game one against the Bulldogs, Pekin was right in it.

Mediapolis scored early in the first inning, then two scoreless inning ensued.

The Panthers got on the board in the fourth, with one run. From then on out, Pekin added a run an inning up until the seventh. The Bulldogs added one in the fifth. The Panthers held the advantage, 3-2.

It was Pekins game to lose, and Mediapolis had the answer.

With the Panthers holding a slim one run lead, the Bulldogs rattled off three runs in the seventh to overtake the Panthers, 5-3.

Pekin accumulated just five hits in the contest, leading to the three runs.

Colton Comstock, Chase Stansberry, Koy Pollock, Blake Juhl and Levi Coleman each had a hit in the contest.

Pollock and Comstock each tallied an RBI.

On the mound, Jackson Horras pitched 6.1 innings, allowed seven hits, three runs (three earned), two walks and struck out seven.

Against Van Buren County, the Panthers had the bats working.

Pekin got on the board early, scoring twice in both the first and second inning.

Van Buren County didn’t sway away.

Heading into the third inning, the game was tied 4-4.

The Warriors added one run to take the lead in the third, 5-4, but Pekin answered back in the fourth.

Despite three runs by Van Buren in the fourth, Pekin poured in seven themselves to make it a 11-8 ballgame.

Pekin would add one additional run in the fifth, all while shutting out the Warriors the rest of the way.

The Panthers finished with 11 hits in the contest.

Stansberry had himself a night. The senior went 4-4 at the plate.

Jaedon Wolver was clutch with the bat. Wolver went 2-4 with five RBIs.

Comstock, Chandler Stull, Pollock, Hudson VanEnglenhoven, and Juhl each had one hit.

Cade Parmenter finished with two RBIs in the game. Comstock, Stull, VanEnglenhoven, and Juhl all finished with one.

Pitching for the Panthers was Comstock, Coleman and Wolver.

Comstock pitched two innings, allowing just one hit. He struck out one. Coleman was on the mound for three innings, allowing eight hits, eight runs (six earned) and struck out three. Wolver pitched two innings, striking out four.

The win marks the Panthers first of the season. They now sit at 1-2.