Knoxville 14  Oskaloosa 4

Friday May 30, 2008

by Don French

The bats came alive for Knoxville Friday evening as the Panthers stormed past the Oskaloosa Indians 14-4 in the first game of a LHC double-header in Osky. Knoxville put together 11 hits while taking advantage of five walks and three Indians errors.

The black and gold took a lead they would never lose in the second inning when Ben Myers stroked an RBI single to left field to score Chad Ball. The lead grew to 4-0 in the third as Danny Lee singled to score Jake Owen, Mike Jacks drew a bases-loaded walk for an RBI and Myers got another RBI the hard way when he was hit by a pitch with the bases still full.

Oskaloosa chipped away at the Panthers' lead to trail only 6-3, but KHS erupted for six runs in the fifth to take control. Jesse Swanson delivered the inning's big blow with a 2-RBI double. Jacks and Ball contributed RBI singles, as did Zach Lenger, who later scored on a wild pitch. The Panthers tacked on two more in the seventh when Lee and Josh Russell singled, and both eventually scored on fielder's choice groundouts.

Lee had three hits for the game, with Russell and Ball each getting two. Swanson's three RBI's paced Knoxville.

Aaron Todd pitched all seven innings to get his first win of the year. The senior scattered 15 hits but walked not a single Indian hitter and was aided by an errorless Panther defense.