LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, Ga. - The baseball team traveled to Covenant for their opening weekend, winning one game out of the series. The Panthers saw some consistent hitting from Snyder Pennington and Matt Rocco, while Jacob Hammer and Ian Wilson controlled the mound.
How it Happened:
Game 1 (L, 12-16)
After Covenant put up a run in the bottom of the second, Matt Rocco drove in Landyn Smith to tie the game at 1-1 in the third. However, Covenant responded with a five-run surge in the bottom half, putting Greenville in an early hole.
The Panthers showed resilience in the sixth, cutting the deficit to 6-3 with a key RBI from Michael Gibson.
In the ninth, GU mounted a late push, with Pennington delivering a two-run double, but the deficit proved too much to overcome.
Pennington led the Panthers with two RBIs and a 2-for-5 appearance, while Rocco and Gibson also collected two hits a piece.
Dax Bailey took the loss on the mound despite a solid five-inning effort, while the Panthers' offense showed promise with nine hits.
Game 2 (L, 9-3)
Despite falling to 9-0 after the fifth inning, the Panthers were able to fight back late in the game.
Greenville's offense broke through in the sixth when Markus Isaiah delivered an RBI double to put them on the board. Pennington followed with a sacrifice fly, bringing home another run.
In the seventh, Smith showcased aggressive baserunning, stealing third and scoring on a throwing error to cap the Panthers' three-run effort.
GU's starter, Dawson Hope (0-1), battled through 4.1 innings but surrendered seven runs (six earned).
The Panthers' bullpen provided some stability, with Ty Kueper tossing a scoreless inning.
Game 3 (W, 6-5)
Greenville battled back to earn a hard-fought 6-5 victory over Covenant in game three of the series, securing their first win of the season.
Covenant jumped to a 2-0 lead by the third inning, but Greenville responded in the fourth when Gibson doubled to left center, scoring Pennington, and Alejandro Martinez drew a bases-loaded walk to tie the game.
After Covenant regained the lead, Greenville's bats came alive in the sixth. George Schneider's RBI single and Snyder Pennington's clutch two-run triple gave the Panthers a 5-4 edge. Covenant managed to tie it again in the seventh, but Greenville was not done.
Logan Doll's RBI groundout in the eighth put Greenville back on top, and Jacob Hammer slammed the door with two scoreless innings to secure the save.
Da'mari Dabney was credited with the win, throwing 2.2 innings and striking out two batters.
Schneider and Pennington both collected three hits, hitting .500 and .750 (respectively).
With his performance, Pennington earned SLIAC Baseball Hitter of the Week.
Up Next:
The Panthers (1-2) host Illinois Wesleyan and Grinnell next weekend.
