Hughes Grand Slam Leads Panthers to Split with Leslie
The Panthers bats were booming in Leslie Wednesday and Noah Hughes led the way with a grand slam that lifted Stockbridge to a doubleheader split with the Blackhawks and win the three game series 2-1.
The first game was a continuation of the game that was called due to darkness Monday with Leslie leading 2-0 entering in the bottom of the second.
The Panthers got one back in the bottom of the second with a RBI single by Hughes and he wasn’t done yet.
Leslie added a pair of runs in the top of the third for a 4-1 lead, but Stockbridge would answer in a big way.
Andrew Davis and Drew Philipp led off the inning with singles. After a flyout, Aiden Trost ripped an RBI single and Dalton Satkowiak doubled to drive in another run to make it 4-3. A walk loaded the bases and a strikeout brought Hughes to the plate with two outs. Hughes launched the full count pitch over the fence in centerfield for a grand slam to clear the bases and give the Panthers a 7-4 lead. They would add one more in the inning on an RBI single by Davis for an 8-4 lead after three.
The Blackhawks fought back with three in the fourth, but a Satkowiak sacrifice fly gave the Panthers a 9-7 lead entering the fifth.
Stockbridge would add a pair of runs in the fifth and two in the sixth to push the lead to 13-7.
Leslie would score three in the seventh to cut the lead to 13-9 but would get no closer.
Hughes led the offense with two hits and five RBI, while Davis and Satkowiak had two hits and two RBI each. Trost added two hits and an RBI and Philipp and hit and RBI. Zach Fletcher, Drew Robinson, and Jack McLennan also had hits for the Panthers.
McLennan also earned the win on the mound striking out four.
A late Leslie rally cost the Panthers in the second game as they fell to the Blackhawks 8-5.
Leslie jumped out to a 2-0 lead after one, but the Panthers bounced back with two in the second thanks to a pair of Leslie errors.
The Panthers would take the lead with three runs in the third with Trost picking up an RBI single and Davis stealing home for another run.
The lead would stay that way until the fifth when the first six Blackhawks reached base and Leslie would score five times to take an 8-5 lead.
Stockbridge put two runners on by walk in the sixth but could not score and the game was called due to darkness giving Leslie the win.
The Panthers could muster just two hits in the game with Trost and Philipp each getting one.
Philipp struck out seven in four innings on the mound with a no decision.
The Panthers return to action Monday when they travel to Whitmore Lake for a non-league doubleheader.
