Box Score
Drury pounded out 17 hits over seven innings cruising to a 14-1 victory over Pittsburg State in their non-conference game Tuesday night at Meador Park, representing the Panthers' school-record ninth consecutive victory.
Seniors R.J. Knese and Joel Potts continued their torrid hitting as part of eight different Panthers who garnered two hits each as Drury improved to 29-17. The 12 games above .500 also represent a high mark in the five-year history of the DU program.
Potts, the reigning GLVC Player of the Week, drove in four runs and Knese knocked home a pair as the Panthers helped present sophomore right-hander Kevin Sweeney with his first victory over the season (1-4). Sweeney went five innings, allowing three hits and a run while striking out one and walking none.
The Gorillas (17-29) struck for their only run in the top of the first, but Drury quickly answered with four runs in the bottom of the inning, including RBI singles from Knese and Courtney Spitz and an RBI double by Potts.
The Panthers added three more in the fourth for a 7-1 lead, including a run-scoring triple by Knese, then broke it open with seven runs in the fifth.
Potts extended his hitting streak to 14 games by going 2 for 4, and is now 17 for 30 at the plate over his last eight games with nine runs scored and 14 RBIs in that stretch. Knese went 2 for 3 and scored three runs in pushing his current hitting streak to 12 games. He's now gone 18 for 35 with 16 runs and 17 RBIs over his last nine games.
Drury passed on the results of its "Saving Second Base" promotion by presenting a check for nearly $2,000, in collaboration with fundraising efforts with the DU Softball program, to the Breast Cancer Foundation of the Ozarks in pre-game ceremonies, which also included ceremonial first-pitch tosses from several fans and friends close to the program in honor of friends or loved ones who've battled cancer. In addition, second base was painted pink for the occasion, with the DU players also wearing pink sweatbands.
The Panthers close out the regular season with a four-game GLVC series this weekend against Maryville at Meador Park. The teams will play a doubleheader at 4 p.m. Saturday and another at 1 p.m. Sunday, with Senior Day festivities to be held between games on Sunday.
The final nine-inning game on Sunday to be televised by Mediacom Connections 22 of Springfield.