Shawnee State University (21-19, 7-8) was able to take advantage of scoring 12 runs on 19 hits and a complete game from Carter Bledsoe to beat the visiting Panthers of Ohio Dominican 12-6.
Shawnee State drew first blood in the non-conference match-up. Matt Jones (Greenup, KY) singled off the pitchers leg in the second inning to record the Bears first hit of the ballgame. Ryan Burnett (Bellevue, WA) followed Jones with a single through the right side after Jones advanced to second on a pass ball to give Shawnee State their first run of the ballgame.
Ohio Dominican answered quickly with three runs on four hits in the top of the third inning off of starting pitcher Cater Bledsoe (Tulsa, OK). The inning gave the Panthers a 3-1 lead through 2 ½ innings.
The lead was short lived for Ohio Dominican as the Bears had their own three run, four hit inning. After Cody Spires (Lancaster, OH) reached first base after getting hit by a pitch and Cody Morrison (Spring, TX) singled to right, both Spires and Morrison advanced after a throwing error from the pitcher.
With two outs and trailing 3-1, Colin Keim (Clinton, OH) ripped a ball up the middle and into center field scoring Spires and Morrison for a two-out RBI. Adam Wamsley (Wheelersburg, OH) followed Keim with a single up the middle and then Jones singled to right field to give Shawnee State a 4-3 lead.
The Bears scored three runs and had four hit all with two outs in the bottom of the third to give them a lead they would never surrender.
Shawnee State continued to extend their lead throughout the ballgame. The Bears exploded for four runs on five hits in the bottom of the fourth. Shawnee State scored two more runs in the bottom of the fifth to push their lead to 10-3. The Bears scored in four out of the first five innings against the Panthers.
Bledsoe, who gave up three runs in the top of the third inning, settled down and pitched four scoreless innings before giving up two runs on two hits in the top of the eighth.
Bledsoe (2-7) threw his first complete game of the season, throwing all nine innings allowing six runs on nine hits.
Seven Bears had multi-hit games as Shawnee State scored 12 runs on 19 hits. Jones and Morrison both went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBI's. Everman, Gesick, Keim and Burnett each had two hits as Shawnee State cruised to their 21st win of the season.
The Bears will be back in action tomorrow in a double-header affair against non-conference opponent Ohio Christian University. Game time is set to start at 3:00 p.m. at Branch Rickey Park.
