WEST ALEXANDRIA — After opening the season with a win, Twin Valley South’s baseball team has dropped four straight, including both ends of a doubleheader at Eaton on Saturday, April 8.
The Panthers, who have several starters returning, are coming off a season win in which they finished 14-11 and reached the sectional final.
Returning starters are Ryan Bassler (junior, moving from 2B to SS), Jared Cottingim (senior, moving from CF to 2B), Travis Lovely (junior, moving from SS to C), Ryan Johnson (junior, outfield), Bryant Marker (junior, outfield), Izik Paxson (senior, outfield).
Also, other key returning players are Tanner Upchurch (senior, pitcher), and Jesse Woods (senior, designated hitter).
Newcomers this season include Cade Cottingim (sophomore), Josh Wysong (sophomore), Willie Bowman (sophomore), Buddy Henderson (sophomore), and Hunter Bennett (junior).
“(We hope to) build on the late-season success that we experienced last season and continue to improve as the season goes on. We just want to become a team that plays fundamentally sound baseball and does not beat itself,” South coach Cory Bassler said.
South opened the season with a win over Middletown Christian, 1-0, as Upchurch threw six shutout innings and Lovely came in for the save.
The Panthers lost their second game against Arcanum, 8-5, in nine innings and suffered a loss to Bradford 3-2. This past weekend South lost both games of a double header, 10-0 and 13-5, to Eaton.
Currently, South is 1-4 overall, 0-2 in the CCC.
The Panthers were scheduled to play Mississinawa Valley on Tuesday, April 11. They are to host Newton on Wednesdasy before closing out the week with a trip to Tri-Village on Friday.
