Panthers lose heartbreaker to close out 0-2 day

The Pinckneyville Panthers offense was in full effect Saturday afternoon, but unfortunately the pitching and defense were unable to deliver as they fell in both games of round robin play at home to Massac County and Chester.<br />In game one, the Panthers were able to put 13 runs on the board, but that wouldn't be enough as the Patriots totaled 19 runs. <br />Pinckneyville and Massac County traded runs in the first two innings as both teams battled to a 5-5 tie. <br />The Patriots tacked on two more in the third, but the Panthers answered with five of their own, getting RBI's from Miles Chandler Tyler Rulevish, scoring the rest on Massac County defensive mistakes, taking a 9-7 lead. <br />The Patriots added on four more in the fourth to shift the game back in their favor 11-9 and later added on three in the sixth to extend its lead, 14-9.<br />Pinckneyville battled back with a run in the sixth as Rulevish scored on an error, but the Patriots put the game out of reach with five runs in the seventh. The Panthers were unable to claw back despite scoring three runs in the seventh as Massac County hung for a 19-13 win. <br />In game two, Pinckneyville seemed to be well on their way to a rebound win over Chester, as Pinckneyville starter Dustin Englehardt worked the first five innings allowing just four runs (0 earned). <br />Offensively, the Panthers capitalized early on, scoring nine runs in the first three innings with a big three-run home run from Kyle Kreger who finished the game with a team-high four RBI's. <br />Colton Kling helped tack on another run in the fourth with an RBI single and Kreger came around to score in the fifth to maintain a nine-run lead for the Panthers 11-2. <br />But, things started to unravel from there, beginning with two runs from Chester in the bottom of the fifth, both unearned. <br />The momentum completely shifted in the sixth-inning, as Engelhardt was unable to pitch out of the inning as the Panthers committed five errors allowing Chester to plate seven runs and tie the game at 11 apiece. <br />Tyler Rulevish came in for relief, retiring one batter to escape the inning and maintain a tie. <br />The Panthers threatened in the top of the seventh, as Kyle Luke reached third base, but did not score. <br />After Chester was retired in order in the bottom of the seventh, the Panthers threatened once again the top of the eighth, as Dustin Bartnicki reached third base with one out, but was ultimately thrown out at the plate trying to score on a fly out from Isaac Hardin. <br />Chester capitalized in the bottom of the eighth, as a lead-off double came around to score on a sharply hit ball of the third-base bag to deliver the walk-off run and cap the 0-2 day for Pinckneyville. <br />The Panthers will look to rebound at home Monday (today) with a conference matchup against Nashville at 4:30 p.m.