Hofacre, Hunt Guide Panthers to Doubleheader Split with Ky. Wesleyan

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio Dominican baseball senior Brendan Hofacre (Chardon, Ohio) tossed his first complete game as a Panther during Friday’s home doubleheader split with Kentucky Wesleyan.

ODU’s split moves them to 9-15 overall and 3-7 in Great Midwest play. KWC had a five-game win streak snapped in the night cap, and will enter Saturday’s doubleheader 9-19 overall and 7-7 in G-MAC competition. 

GAME TWO

Hofacre was efficient in his seven innings of work, facing just 25 batters, throwing 61-of-96 pitches for a strike. The senior struck out seven batters, while allowing four hits and one run. 

Brennen Hunt (Ashland, Ohio) went 2-for-3 in Game Two, including a home run to cap a four-hit day. Michael McFadden (Brunswick, Ohio) went deep for the first time in his collegiate career. 

McFadden homered in the second inning, with Michael Knapp (Elyria, Ohio) hitting a sac fly in the first to give ODU an early 2-0 edge. Hofacre retired the first eight batters he faced and only allowed a solo shot in the fifth inning, which cut the ODU lead to 2-1. 

Hunt led off the bottom of the sixth with a home run to left field to push the advantage to 3-1. Despite loading the bases in the inning with just one out, the Panthers were unable to tack on any additional insurance runs. 

Hofacre conceded a leadoff double in the final frame, but struck out the next two batters. The senior then induced a ground out to Devan Nail (Elyria, Ohio) at third base to seal the Panther win.

GAME ONE 

Defensive miscues cost the Panthers early in the series opener. Ohio Dominican recorded four fielding errors in the first three innings and trailed KWC, 4-0. 

Scott Rouse (Hinckley, Ohio) kept the Purple Panthers off the scoreboard over the next three frames, and a two-out homer from Zac Wilson (Hamilton, Ohio) in the bottom of the sixth inning cut the ODU deficit to 4-3. The bomb to left field was the first of the spring for Wilson. 

Kentucky Wesleyan tagged Rouse for a run in the top of the next half inning, but Marshall Flynn (Heath, Ohio) was able to get out of a jam in the seventh to keep ODU within two runs, 5-3. Hunt led off the bottom of the seventh with a double and later scored on a groundout to close the gap to 5-4. 

The Purple Panthers went deep with two outs in the top of the eighth inning, giving them two insurance runs and a 7-4 advantage. ODU went in order in the eighth, but did bring the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the ninth. Back-to-back strikeouts though, ended the Panther threat and secured the 7-4 win for KWC. 

Hunt reached base safely in all five plate appearances, including a single, double and three walks. David Silva (Tonotgany, Ohio) went 1-for-2 with a trio of walks as well. 

Max Whitesell (Dayton, Ohio) tossed a clean ninth inning, his first appearance in Panther Valley. 

UP NEXT

ODU and KWC will conclude their four-game conference series with a noon doubleheader at Panther Valley on Saturday, April 2.

Contact: Tyler Jester

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