Knoxville 6  Newton 5

Tuesday July 1, 2008

by Don French

Before the nightcap of Tuesday night twin-bill with Newton, Knoxville Baseball held its' senior night activities. Seniors Jon Young, Jesse Swanson, Chad Ball, Ben Myers, Josh Russell, Aaron Todd and Kirk Keffer were recognized for their contributions to baseball at KHS.

The senior class would then contribute in a big way to lead the Panthers to perhaps their biggest win of the season, a come-from-behind 6-5 triumph over Newton. The Cardinals are the second-place team in the Little Hawkeye Conference.

Keffer was the Panthers' starting pitcher for this game and did a fine job, allowing only five hits in five innings of work. But defensive mistakes by Knoxville allowed Newton to score five runs and take a 5-1 lead. Knoxville's only run to this point had come on a solo home run by Swanson.

Newton had rallied in the fifth inning of the opening game. There would be another fifth-inning rally in this one, but the rally came from the Panthers. Eric Jones and Danny Lee each had RBI singles, but senior Russell would land the big blow. The KHS first baseman lined a bases-loaded double just inside the left-field line to drive in three runs and give Knoxville the lead.

Keffer gave up pitching duties to Jones in the sixth, and the freshman came up clutch. Jones held Newton scoreless over the final two innings while protecting Knoxville's one-run lead, getting the save and putting the win in Keffer's column.

The Panthers are now 13-16 overall, including an 11-8 mark in LHC play.