In a South Central Conference doubleheader, the Knoxville baseball team defeated Davis County in the first game Monday night. The second game was postponed due to bad weather, and game two was broadcast live on 95.3 KNIA.
The Panthers scored three runs in the second inning and two in the sixth to win game one 5-1. In game one, Roston McCarty was a gem for the Panthers, tallying eight strikeouts while giving up just three hits and one run, which came in the seventh inning. While five other Panthers recorded hits in game one, including doubles from Luke Roozeboom, Grant DeMoss, and Lincoln Norris, McCarty also had a two-hit game offensively, recording a single and a triple. According to coach Turner DeVore, McCarty put his side in a strong position to win the first game.
Roston threw a great opening game, giving up two singles in the first inning and not allowing another until the seventh. As long as we play solid defense and score a few runs, we will have a decent chance of winning because he pitched incredibly well and we know that he will mostly throw strikes rather than walk people. We needed to do a bit more because we left some guys on base, and the bats only did enough.
In game two, Davis County surged for four runs to grab a 5-3 lead after the Panthers had led the Mustangs 3-1 going into the fifth. The game was then tied when Knoxville scored runs in the bottom of the fifth and sixth innings. Kyler Gifford entered the game as a pitcher and struck out the side in the eighth inning. The game was subsequently suspended due to bad weather in the top of the eighth inning after Davis County retired the team in the bottom of the seventh to force extra innings. In game two, Knoxville’s starting pitcher was Brenden Woolsey. During the game, Woolsey allowed five runs and six hits. Lincoln Norris, Kyler Gifford, and Woolsey all had two successful offensive games in game two.
Game two is anticipated to resume on June 26th when the Panthers travel to Davis County, improving their season record to 9-6. Tonight at 7:00 p.m., the Knoxville baseball team will play Newton.
