LIBERTY, MISSOURI -- The Ellsworth CC baseball team had a successful beginning to the 2024 spring season, going 3-1 on an opening trip to take on Metropolitan CC.  The Panthers swept a Friday doubleheader by scores of 2-1 and 7-3, and followed with an 8-3 victory in Saturday's opener before falling 8-1 in the nightcap.

In game one of the series, ECC spotted MCC a run in the 3rd inning, then tied the game on a Dariel Colon home run in the 5th and scored the game-winner later in the frame when Gabriel Monosmith knocked in Tanner Short.  Colon, the Panthers' leadoff hitter, stroked 3 hits and Jean Melean had a pair.  Brock Adamson was given the start on the mound and struck out 6 in 3 2/3 innings.  Justin Roitman got the win in 2 1/3 innings of relief and Casey Clair came out of the bullpen for the save with a scoreless 7th inning.

ECC began the 2nd game with 2 runs in the top of the 1st inning and added 4 in the 6th and an insurance tally in the 7th.  They had 10 hits -- two apiece by Colon, Brandon Weigel and Luke Saxton.  Weigel scored twice and the top 4 hitters in the lineup -- Colon, Short, Monosmith and Boston Doeschot -- all scored once.  Carson Agan had a hit, scored a run and stole a base.  Weigel and Saxton each had 2 RBIs.  Luke Greth started and went 5 solid innings, allowing only 3 hits and a run.  The Panthers used 4 relievers -- Jaxson Cornett, Jake English, Owen Norris and Alex Stewart -- and the 5 hurlers gave up just 5 hits.  Stewart fanned 3 and recorded a save.

Ellsworth jumped out to a 5-0 lead in game one on Saturday with 2 runs in the 2nd and 3 in the 3rd.  Max Watson and Jose Roche had 2-hit games, Roche and Saxton both doubled, and Weigel scored two runs.  Roche was on base all 4 at-bats.  The Panthers swiped 7 bases, two of them by Monosmith.  Five pitchers again saw action for ECC.  Doeschot, the starter, permitted 3 hits and struck out 4.  Reliever Luke Kalhorn K'd 3 in his 1 1/3 innings.

The offense was held to just 5 hits in the final game of the series, the Panthers shut out until the final inning.  Melean drove in Stewart with the lone run.  ECC used 14 different pitchers in the 4-game set and Hunter Brown began this game on the mound and took the loss.  Norris and Cornett combined for 5 Ks over the last 2 innings. 

The Panthers head south again this weekend, playing doubleheaders against Fort Scott CC in Kansas on Friday and Saturday.