Knoxville Baseball swept Clarke on Monday night in Osceola in two vastly different games with the final scores of 3-2 and 18-3.

Game one went 8 innings, just like the first contest of the season between Knoxville and the Indians. The Panthers took an early 1-0 lead when DJ Snyder drove in Jacob Zuck in the first inning. They would score another in the second inning on a Cam Liston sac fly that plated Rylan Cox. However, the bats would go silent after that until the eighth when Trent Davis scored the winning run on a sac fly by Zuck.

Knoxville starting pitcher Ben Wallace improved his record to 5-2 on the season allowing two runs on just four hits during his 7 2/3 innings of work. Blake McClung got the final out and earned his first save of the season.

In game two, the bats were awake from the start as Knoxville plated nine runs in the first inning on six hits and never looked back. Wallace and Zuck each went 3-3 in the nightcap, with Wallace driving in five runs. The sophomore now has a team leading 26 RBI on the season. Justin Little added two doubles, while DJ Snyder and Patrick Crawford also had multiple hits.

Game two starter Blake McClung went just two innings, leaving him available later in the week. He was relieved by Freshman Kaleb Streigle.

Knoxville is now 12-11 on the season and 11-2 in the South Central Conference. They have a full one game lead on Centerville with five conference games remaining including a doubleheader with the Big Reds next week. The Panthers are back in action with a non-conference game tonight at home against Grinnell.

at Osceola

Kville 110 000 01 – 3 5 1
Clarke 000 101 00 – 2 4 2

WP – Ben Wallace (5-2)
LP – Evan Hagen (0-3)
SV – Blake McClung (1)

Kville 961 02 – 18 14 3
Clarke 000 30 – 3 4 3

WP – Blake McClung (4-1)
LP – Payton Winship (0-4)

Knoxville (12-11, 11-2)
Clarke (4-19, 0-13)