BASEBALL: Panthers drop fourth straight
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[For the second day in a row on Tuesday, Pinckneyville out-hit a conference opponent but failed to win the game, falling 4-3 at Anna-Jonesboro after leading 3-1 in the middle of the third inning.
"I thought we played much harder today and definitely swung the bats much better," said PCHS head baseball coach Alan Engelhardt. "We just seem to be a little snake-bit right now. We hit several balls hard with runners in scoring position, but it seemed like the ball always found the defense. We made a couple of mistakes in the field and it bit us both times, allowing two runs to cross the plate."
After the Wildcats took a 1-0 lead on an unearned run in the bottom of the second, the Panthers responded with their only runs of the game in the next half inning. Justyn Rushing led off by reaching on an error by A-J shortstop Brady Wright, then Dylan Hardin bunted for a single before both players moved up a base on a wild pitch. C.J. Opp followed with an RBI single, and after a sacrifice fly from Joey Burris, the Panthers led 3-1.
The bottom of the third started off poorly for PCHS starter Bryant Shute as the righty walked the first two hitters. Tyler Vaughn followed with an RBI single, and Brent Goforth and David Knupp also drove in runs to put the Wildcats on top by a run.
Pinckneyville had baserunners in each of their last four at-bats, but couldn't get any of them past second base.
Shute allowed four earned runs on five hits, two walks and a hit batsman. Noah Hepp took over in the fourth going three innings, allowing no hits, walking two and striking out three.
"I thought both Bryant and Noah threw the ball pretty well today," Engelhardt said. "We just didn't capitalize on their good efforts. We took a step in the right direction today, but we have to figure out how to win against quality teams."
Burris (2-2, SAC, RBI) and Hunter Queen (2-2, 2B, SAC) each had two hits for PCHS. Hardin (1-3, SAC, R), Opp (1-4, RBI), Shute (1-2, 2 BB, 3B, R), Rushing (1-3, R) and Justin Bumann (1-3) also helped out account for the Panthers' nine hits.
Pinckneyville (4-5) looks to snap their four-game losing skid on Thursday, but won't find it easy in taking on unbeaten Nashville (10-0) on the road.