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Feb. 16, 2007

Box Score

PANTHERS DROP SEASON OPENER 7-6 IN FINAL INNINGS

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Eleven walks and six runs in the final two innings led to a 7-6 University of Northern Iowa baseball loss, Friday. The Panthers fell to Arkansas-Little Rock despite a stellar outing from starter Aaron Jenkins.

The Trojans took an early lead in the first after Ryan Gotcher scored on an RBI double after drawing a leadoff walk. The run put UNI behind 1-0 after one.

UNI blew the game open with four runs in the fourth. Curt Bradley (Colombia, Mis./Rock Bridge) began the inning by reaching on a dropped third strike and later scoring on a Brett Featherston (Epworth, Iowa/West Dubuque) RBI single to tie the game. Dane Embury (Kelowna, British Colombia/ Kelowna) ripped a two-run double to score Featherston and Nick Cameron (West Des Moines, Iowa/Valley) and give the Panthers a 3-1 lead. Embury scored the fourth run of the inning on a Jaime Ballesteros (Huntington Park, Calif) RBI single, putting the score at 4-1 in favor of UNI.

Savvy defense and solid pitching left the score frozen at 4-1 until the top half of the seventh. Brandon Douglas (St. Charles, Iowa/I35) slammed a two-run double down the right field line to score Bradley and Deric Manrique (Sioux City, Iowa/North) and put the score at 6-1.

The Trojans climbed back into the game with a four-run eighth inning on the back of five walks, including four straight. A scoreless ninth for the Panthers put the game at 6-5 heading to the bottom of the ninth.

In the ninth, UALR knotted the score at six with an RBI double by Gotcher that scored Brian Asbill, who reached on a walk earlier in the inning. After stealing second and third, Gotcher scored on a passed ball to give the Trojans the 7-6 victory.

Jenkins's six brilliant innings were wasted after the Panthers allowed six runs in the final two frames. Jenkins allowed just one hit and finished the game with nine strikeouts. Eric Hoffmann (Erskine, Minn./Win-E-Mac) took the loss after two walks and a passed ball plated the winning run for UALR.

The offense scattered seven hits, including three by Douglas. The sophomore went 3-5 with a pair of RBI on the night. Embury collected a pair of hits, scored a run and drove in two in his UNI debut.

The Panthers open the season at 0-1 overall. UALR improves to 3-1.