OWENSBORO, Kentucky - The Ohio Dominican Panthers baseball team closed out the 2023 regular season with a series down in Kentucky against the other set of Panthers, the Kentucky Wesleyan Panthers. 

Ohio Dominican came up empty on the Bluegrass trip, dropping both sets of doubleheaders on Thursday (May 4) and Friday (May 5). ODU ended the regular season with a 24-25 overall mark and 16-16 in the G-MAC. 

GAME ONE (L, 11-3)

Kentucky Wesleyan scored first with two runs as Ohio Dominican cut the lead in half with a run in the fourth inning. Jordan Daniels (Blacklick, Ohio) singled, stole second and scored on a RBI single by Lane Marshall (Wooster, Ohio). 

After four runs by KWC in the fourth, the Panthers used some baserunning pressure to try and close the deficit. Once again, Daniels began the sixth inning with a single. Marshall walked to put two runners on base. A double steal attempt allowed Daniels to score when the throw from the catcher missed the mark. 

KWC added five runs between the seventh and eighth innings for an 11-2 advantage. ODU closed the scoring on a RBI single by Michael McFadden (Brunswick, Ohio), who scored Devan Nail (Elyria, Ohio), who singled. 

Daniels, Marshall and McFadden all had two hit games with Daniels scoring twice and stealing two bases.

GAME TWO (L, 10-4)

Ohio Dominican jumped out front with some heavy hitting in the first two innings. Just like game one, Daniels started another inning with a single and stolen base. Jack Mathey (Copley, Ohio) singled home Daniels while Nail followed with a two-run blast to right center field. 

After KWC scored two runs in the bottom of the first, Alex Brill (Amherst, Ohio) opened the second inning with a big fly. With a 4-2 lead in the second, Kentucky Wesleyan scored eight times in the third, fourth and fifth innings in a 10-4 defeat. 

Mathey tallied two hits with one RBI and run scored. Six other players had hits, including Nail and Brill for extra-base hits along with Jesse Kramer (Strongsville, Ohio), who doubled. 

Derek Bolander (Oregon, Ohio) made his first appearance in nearly a month as he allowed two runs in two innings of relief. 

GAME THREE (L, 10-6)

For the second straight game, ODU scored first in the first inning. The Panthers loaded the bases with a Daniels double, Marshall hit by pitch and Mathey sacrifice/error. Nail grounded out to second base as the first run crossed the plate. 

KWC scored four runs in the second inning with ODU responding in the third. Brill singled, stole second and got into scoring position on an error. A wild pitch got Brill across the plate as the game was 4-2 after three and a half innings. Four more KWC runs in the fifth were answered by an ODU four-spot in the sixth. Daniels forced a bad pickoff throw after a leadoff single, getting him into scoring position. Marshall singled him home before Brill blasted a three-run shot to left field. ODU got within two runs at 8-6 but KWC added two more runs for a 10-6 win. 

Brill and Daniels were the only ones with extra-base hits and two hits and runs each. 

GAME FOUR (L, 14-5)

Three first inning singles put ODU in front with Brill singled home the game's first run. Kentucky Wesleyan scored 13 runs in the next five innings, with Nail homering in the ODU half of the third inning. 

Brill kicked off the sixth inning with his second blast of Friday, a solo shot to left field. Two errors led to an ODU run later in the sixth inning. Mason Kurtz (Ostrander, Ohio) singled home Michael O'Callaghan (Morrow, Ohio), who reached on an error. The Black and Gold trailed 13-4 at that point. 

Kentucky Wesleyan closed the scoring in the sixth before ODU did the same in the seventh. After three walks and a hit by pitch, Michael Knapp (Elyria, Ohio) got a RBI with a bases loaded walk. 

Out of everyone that saw the field, Brill and Nail only combined for two homers, four hits, three RBI and two runs scored. 

The Panthers will kick off the 2023 Great Midwest Baseball Tournament at Prasco Park on Wednesday (May 8) against an opponent to be determined.