The baseball team met Westminster in the quarterfinal round of the SLIAC tournament on Tuesday at Robert E. Smith Field, and the Panthers overcame a 10-0 third inning deficit to take a 16-14 win. Greenville now advances to the four team double elimination tournament on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at CarShield Field in O'Fallon, Mo.
"Our guys did a great job today of recognizing that we are playing a nine-inning game," said head coach Lynn Carlson. "After the six run inning, they said that we are going fight, and they created opportunities for themselves offensively."
Terry Millikan came into the game in the third inning and worked 3.2 innings, stabilizing the mound for the Panthers, and gave Greenville the chance to come from behind for the win.
The Blue Jays built the 10 run lead with back-to-back home runs in the second inning that accounted for four runs and then added six runs in the third inning capped by a three-run home run.
The Panthers steadily chipped away in their half of the third inning, posting 10 runs, and tying the game when Austin Lawrence scored on an errant pick off attempt that got past the first baseman.
GU took a 12-10 lead in the bottom of the fourth when Rhett Pennington provided an RBI single and Lawrence delivered a sacrifice fly.
GU added four more runs in the fifth inning coming from an RBI single from Mark Islas, RBI walks of Pennington and Lawrence, and a plunking of Drew Frey with the bases loaded.
The Panthers allowed a two-run home run in the sixth inning and a solo shot in the seventh that brought GU's lead down to 16-13.
Westminster put runners on base in the ninth, but Braden Maltbie recorded his second save of the year after permitting a run.
Islas finished 3-for-5 with three runs scored and three RBI. Trent Morgenstern also delivered a 2-for-4 effort with two runs scored and two RBI.
Pennington, Dustin Sutton, and Lawrence each had two RBI.
The Panthers (18-22) will play Webster at 4 p.m. on Thursday.
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