Panthers open season with pair of losses to Falcons

Racking up runs in the late innings, the Riley County Falcons handed the Concordia High School baseball team a pair of losses in a season opening doubleheader Thursday at the Concordia Sports Complex.
Concordia had a 9-4 lead through three innings in game two of the twinbill, but was outscored 13-1 over the final four innings in falling 17-10 to Riley County.
The Panthers were up 6-5 after four innings in game one.
Riley County shut Concordia out over the final three innings, and scored seven runs to capture a 12-6 victory.
“Overall, I was pleased with our at-bats,” Concordia coach Brandt Hutchinson said. “Pitching-wise we threw too many pitches per inning. We had too many times when we were pitching from behind in the count. And then we would make a mistake defensively. As the season progresses we will get better in those two areas.”
Concordia got out to a 3-0 advantage in the first inning in game two.
With one out, Nathan Brown singled and Stryker Hake walked.
A single by Shelby Giersch drove in Brown with the first run.
Hake scored the second run in the inning.
Maddox Frey singled and scored on a base hit by Dustin Sterrett.
Three runs in the second inning extended the Panthers' lead to 6-0.
Logan Leiszler and Joey Henderson walked to lead off the inning.
Leiszler scored on a double by Brown.
Hake knocked in a run.
Brown got home on a sacrifice by Giersch.
Riley County cut the deficit in half with three runs in the top of the third inning.
Concordia answered with three runs in the bottom of the inning.
Sterrett tripled and scored on a passed ball.
Keegun Beims walked and Leiszler drove him in.
Henderson singled and scored on a double by Hake.
Taking advantage of four walks, Riley County put up five runs in the top of the fourth inning, and the game was tied at 9-9.
Dalton Owen singled and scored on a base hit by Sterrett in the bottom of the fourth to give the Panthers a 10-9 lead.
Four runs in the top of the fifth inning put Riley County on top to stay, 13-9.
The Falcons added two runs in the sixth inning and two in the seventh.
Concordia was shut out over the final four innings.
Hake pitched the first two innings for the Panthers and gave up four runs, one earned, on three hits. He struck out two.
Frey allowed nine runs, just three earned, on six hits, struck out two and walked two in two and two-thirds innings in suffering the loss.
Braden Primeaux worked the final two and a third innings and surrendered four runs, three earned, on two hits. He struck out four and walked six.
Concordia put up 10 runs on 12 hits.
Sterrett was 3-for-4 at the plate with two runs batted in.
Brown and Henderson had hits and scored two runs each.
Giersch and Hake drove in two runs each.
After falling behind 1-0 in the top of the first inning in game one, the Panthers scored two runs in the bottom of the inning.
Henderson and Hake each walked and Frey delivered a two-run single.
Riley County reclaimed the lead at 4-2 with three runs in the top of the second inning.
Concordia put up three runs in the third inning to go back on top, 5-4.
Hake singled and Giersch was hit by a pitch.
Frey doubled to drive in Hake.
Giersch and Frey each scored on a base hit by Owen.
The Falcons tied the game at 5-5 with a run in the top of the fourth inning.
Hake reached base on an error and scored on a single by Owen in the bottom of the fourth, and Concordia led 6-5.
Riley County went on top to stay, 7-6, with two runs in the fifth inning.
The Falcons tacked on three runs in the sixth and two in the seventh to make it 12-6.
Caleb Hanson, pitching the final four innings, took the loss. He gave up six runs, five earned, on six hits and struck out two.
Brown started and allowed four runs, one earned, on two hits, struck out six and walked four in two innings.
Giersch gave up two runs on no hits, struck out one and walked two in one inning.
Owen was 3-for-4 at the plate with three runs batted in.
Frey had three hits in four at bats and drove in three runs.
Brown had two hits.
Concordia will be on the road for a doubleheader at Beloit on Monday.