The Kewanee Boiler baseball team split their last two outings, defeating Erie-Prophetstown 10-7 on Saturday and losing to Princeton on Monday by a score of 21-7.
In the Saturday win against E-P, the Boilers spotted the Panthers a 6-0 third inning lead, but Kewanee scored 10 runs in the final four innings to earn the 10-7 win.
On Monday, the Boilers (3-8, 1-2) jumped out to 5-1 first inning lead over Princeton and they maintained a 6-4 lead after the third frame.
The Tigers (3-3, 2-1) rebounded with seven runs in the fourth and sixth innings (sandwiched by three runs in the fifth), to claim the 6-inning 21-7 win.
Kewanee 10, Erie-Prophetstown 7
The Panthers (2-4, 0-2) put up four runs in the second inning, giving E-P a 4-0 lead. They tacked on two more runs in the third inning to extend the lead to 6-0.
The Boiler bats came to life in the fourth inning and Kewanee plated five runs to come within on run at 6-5.
With two outs on the board and Jackson Hawkins on first base, Brady Clark doubled on a fly ball to center field, scoring Hawkins (6-1). Clark then scored off of a single by Brayden Conley and Cruz Paredes scored on the following play for a score of 6-3.
Ben Taylor extended the fourth quarter rally with a line drive to right field, sending home Brady Schiltz and Conley to move Kewanee within a run at 6-5.
In the top of the sixth inning Colson Welgat doubled on hit to center field, scoring Conley and Schiltz and giving the Boilers their first lead of the game at 7-6.
Kewanee would string together three more runs in the seventh inning to mount a 10-6 lead. Schiltz hit a fly ball and reached base on an error.
That same error cost the Tigers two more runs as Paredes and Conley scored, giving the Boilers a 9-6 cushion. Lincoln Mason then singled on a hit to left field and Schiltz scored Kewanee’s final run of the game.
Owen Farral added one more run for E-P in the bottom of the seventh inning at 10-7, but a Panther comeback was halted.
Welgat was the winning pitcher for Kewanee. In three innings on the mound, he fanned seven batters, walked two, while not allowing a hit or run.
Braeydyn Frank went the distance and took the loss for the Panthers. He struck out six, while surrendering 10 walks, six hits and 10 runs.
At the plate:
Patience at the plate paid off for the Boilers as they advanced to first off of 10 walks by Frank.
Clark and Welgat each doubles in the win. Clark also had an RBI and scored a run. Welgat added two RBI and had a stolen base.
Conley was 1-2, with three walks, three runs and an RBI. Schiltz reached base on three walks and scored three runs for the Boilers.
Paredes was 1-2, with two walks and two runs scored. Taylor went 1-4, had two RBI and one walk. Hawkins had one walk and one run and Mason was 1-4 and had one RBI.
Princeton 21, Kewanee 7
Princeton got on the board first with one run in the first inning and a lead of 1-0. Kewanee answered by taking a 5-1 lead in the bottom of the first inning.
Colson Welgat hit his first double of the game and Jackson Hawkins and Landon Sheets each singled to drove in runs by Ben Taylor and Welgat for a lead of 2-1. Dillon Price then scored on a passed ball (3-1).
While still in the first inning, Cruz Paredes doubled on a fly ball to center field and Lincoln Mason scored to push the lead to 4-1. With two outs on the board, Brayden Conley hit a single and Paredes scored the final run of the inning to push the Kewanee lead to 5-1.
Princeton scored three runs in the top of the third inning to come within one at 5-4. Welgat hit his second double of the game in the bottom of the third. Schiltz then tacked on another run for Kewanee, but 6-4 would be the final lead for the Boilers.
Princeton erupted for seven runs in the fourth inning and took an 11-6 lead. They extended the lead to 14-6 at the top of the fifth inning.
Schiltz scored Kewanee’s final run of the game in the bottom of the fifth inning for a score of 14-7. Princeton scored seven more runs in the sixth inning to close out the 21-7 win.
Paredes took the loss on the mound for Kewanee. In three and two-thirds innings, the right-hander stuck out three and walked two while giving up three hits and six runs (three earned).
