Knoxville 12  Indianola 4

Tuesday May 25, 2010

by Don French

Eric Jones scattered four hits over six innings and Lance Daugherty homered and drove in four runs to lead Knoxville to a season-opening 12-4 thrashing of the Indianola Indians Tuesday evening.

A Panther error helped the Indians take a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, but Knoxville responded with nine unanswered runs. The Panthers took the lead for good in the bottom of the second on Kellen Glover's two-RBI single, then blew open the contest with five runs in the third.

The third-inning explosion began with Corey Collins and Blake McWilliams drawing walks. Collins scored on Mike Jacks' RBI single just before Daugherty's home run, a three-run shot that disappeared into the centerfield trees. Jared McRoberts gapped an RBI double to right to stake the Panthers to a 7-1 advantage.

Two more Panther runs scored in the fourth. Lance Daugherty drove in Tanner Peterson with a double, advancing to third on a throw to the plate. Daugherty was then awarded home on an obstruction call against an Indian fielder. The final three Knoxville runs scored in the sixth. Glover drove in two of the runs with a bloop hit just inside the left-field line.

Meanwhile, Jones was in command on the pitcher's mound, retiring 11 straight Indianola hitters from the first through fourth innings. The Indians would not score again until the sixth, when they tallied twice after loading the bases with nobody out. Glover came on to work the seventh, allowing one meaningless run to end the game.

Knoxville (1-0 overall) hits the road for the first time in 2010 on Thursday, when the Panthers travel to Centerville for a double-header with the Big Reds.