What a thrilling season opener?! The Lions started the home half of the 8th inning down 5-1 and scored 5 runs in the final 2 frames to defeat the Eastern Illinois Panthers 6-5 on opening night.
Tyler Watkins made his pitching debut an outstanding one. Throwing 6.2 innings, he gave up only 7 hits and 4 runs, of which only 1 was earned. With the Lions offense off to a slow start, smacking just 3 hits and scoring only 1 run during Watkins’ tenure, he was the guy needed to keep the Lions in the game. And that he did with a shaky defense committing 6 errors behind him on the hill.
Justin Schneider relieved Watkins in the 7th with the Lions trailing 4-1. Schneider entertained a crowd of nearly 600 with a stellar performance, allowing only 1 unearned run in 1.1 innings pitched.
And finally, the sleeping Lions bats awoke as Jeff Harkensee led off the bottom half of the 8th with a long ball rocketing over the right field wall. The offense mustered 3 hits and 3 runs in the home half of the 8th inning to go into the final frame down 5 runs to four.
Josh Janway took the mound in the 9th looking to shut down the Panthers offense. Only having to face 3 batters, Janway struck out two and induced a third-to-first groundball for out number three.
Leading off the bottom of the 9th , Cass Hargis grounded out to short. Phil Freeman drew a one out walk. Harkensee swung a hot bat singling to center, advancing Freeman to third. Josh Cryer reached on a sac bunt with Freeman crossing the plate for the tying score, advancing Harkensee to second. Matt Fowler entered as a pinch runner for Harkensee standing on second. Justin Boudreaux then walked on 4 straight pitches advancing Cryer to second and Fowler to third. With bases loaded, one out, and the Panther infield in, Cody Gougler stepped up to the plate. Going deep in the count, facing a 3-2 pitch, Gougler lined a shot to right center scoring Fowler and giving the Lions a 6-5 walk-off victory!
Inside Lions Baseball caught up with Harkensee after the game. When asked to comment on his homer in the 8th to spark the Lion offense he said, “our pitching was outstanding and kept us in the game. I knew we had to score. And I knew we would win this game when Gougler came to the plate. I had all the confidence. It’s a great win and I can’t wait for tomorrow.”
The Lions look to clinch the series on Saturday with a start time of 2 pm.
We’ve also learned that we’ll have a special guest tossing out the first pitch on Saturday. He’s a former Lion pitcher (2006-2008) who holds the #2 spot in the Lion record books with 259 career strikeouts. He was also drafted in the MLB first round draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Who is he??? Be at Alumni Field for 2 o’clock on Saturday to find out!
Go Lions
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