BASEBALL: Mt. Vernon tops Panthers in baseball opener

It seems like every baseball season the Pinckneyville Panthers take on Mt. Vernon on a chilly opening day and labor through a rough start to the schedule with a lopsided loss.

Keeping with tradition, PCHS fell 8-3 at Brennan Klein Field in Mt. Vernon on Wednesday, although they actually out-hit the Rams 6-to-4.

Panthers' starting pitcher Caleb Dahn allowed just four hits in his four innings of work, but hit two batters and walked three others in addition to committing four errors that proved costly for Pinckneyville.

"You never know what's going to happen in a game, but Caleb pitched well enough to win," said PCHS head coach Dan Blazier. "He gave up just four hits to a pretty good team, but he had our four errors, and the types of errors he had - on bunt plays and pick-off plays - they kill you. He definitely threw very well though."

After falling behind 1-0 in the bottom of the first after a hit batter came home for the game's first run, the Panthers tied the score up on freshman Justin Bauersachs' triple to bring in Colton Nelson, the first of two three-baggers on the day for Bauersachs.

"(Bauersachs is) a pretty good player," said Blazier. "He can hit a little bit, he does some things well."

But the Rams picked up two runs in the bottom of the second after a triple from the nine spot in the order and a single by the leadoff man. Two errors in the bottom of the fourth helped Mt. Vernon grab three more tallies, and they led 6-1.

Nelson walked and scored on Bauersachs' second triple in the sixth, and Trent Hicks smacked a sacrifice fly to bring in Lucas Carter in the seventh for Pinckneyville's other runs.

Bauersachs (2-3, 2 RBI, 2 3B), Nelson (1-1, 2 R, 2 BB), Nolan Luke (2-4) and Justyn Rushing (1-3) had the Panthers six hits.

Clayton Houghland relieved Dahn in the fifth and tossed two innings of work, giving up no hits but walked three.

Pinckneyville (0-1) returns to action on Friday in their home opener against Okawville.