GREENVILLE, Ill. - The baseball team improved their conference-leading record to 7-0 with a doubleheader sweep over Fontbonne on Monday night. Fontbonne received votes in the latest ABCA NCAA Division III coaches top 30 poll. Greenville shut out the Griffins 1-0 behind a one-hitter from Jonah Moore, and then capped the sweep with a 9-2 win in game two.
Moore matched up with Fontbonne hurler Luke Summers in a battle of top SLIAC pitchers. Greenville reached Summers for a run in the third inning when Ryan Taylor tripled and went home on a third strike wild pitch to Adam Lamb.
Moore worked around five walks and a hit batsman as he struck out nine. He threw 112 pitches including 64 strikes.
Fontbonne's hit came in the top of the fifth when they put runners on first and third following an infield single with two outs. Moore got out of the jam with a fielder's choice to the second baseman.
The Panthers only had four hits of their own, headlined by Sam Hodges with two.
Game two saw Greenville set the tone early with a four-run first inning.
In the four-run first, Taylor scored on a wild pitch for Greenville's first run. Ty Maxie recorded a bases-loaded single with a bloop down the right field line, but he got caught trying to take an extra base. The final runs of the first scored on a fielding error by the third baseman.
The Panthers took a 5-0 lead with a homer from Noah Casali in the bottom of the fourth and extended the lead to 6-0 with an RBI triple from Andrew Torbeck.
In the sixth inning, Greenville added its final three runs when a bunt single by Lamb was thrown away, allowing two runs to score. Hodges later lifted a sacrifice fly to left field.
Logan Murphy picked up the win as he pitched into the sixth inning. He went 5.2 innings, limiting Fontbonne to four hits, three walks, and three hit batsmen. He did not allow a run and improved to 4-1.
Murphy was relieved by Sam Alender who worked 2.1 innings and permitted two unearned runs.
Hunter Cullum closed the game with a perfect ninth.
Greenville's top hitters were the first two batters in the order. Lamb ended with three hits, and Taylor had two.
The Panthers (15-7, 7-0 SLIAC) travel to Principia on Friday for the first of a three-game series against Principia.
