Baseball wins twice to qualify for SLIAC tournament

CLAYTON, Mo. -- The baseball team went into their final doubleheader of the 2018 season needing to gain a sweep over Fontbonne to qualify for the 2018 SLIAC tournament.  The Panthers delivered with a 4-0 win in game one, followed by a 10-5 win in game two to clinch their appearance in the tourney.

Greenville used a pitching effort from Bryce Pearce in the first game to shut down the Griffins.  Pearce went 6 2/3 innings and left the bases loaded when he yielded the mound to Austin Rexroad who needed just one pitch to end the game.  

The Panthers scored single runs in the fourth and sixth innings, sandwiched around two runs in the fifth inning.

In game two, Greenville dominated from start to finish.  The Panthers opened the game with three runs in the first inning and four in the third as they built a 7-1 cushion.  The Panthers eventually led 10-3, and Fontbonne scored twice in the final inning.

Jonah Moore pitched five innnings in the game for the win, and Sam Alender closed with four innings of relief to gain a save.

Pearce and Sam Hodges each had three hits for Greenville.  Hodges and Andrew Torbeck posted two RBI's each.

The Panthers (20-18) will play Webster at 5 p.m. in the first round of the SLIAC tournament on Thursday in Greenville.