The Purdue North Central baseball team dropped a 7-4 decision to St. Xavier University Wednesday night in Whiting in the second round of the 6-team double-elimination CCAC Tournament. Both teams are now one game away from elimination with records of 1-1.

Freshman Dan Snyder took the loss despite pitching into the 7^th inning. Snyder had given up just 3 runs (2 earned) through 6 innings before the Cougars scored 3 in the 7^th inning on 2 clutch 2-out hits off junior reliever Mike Bradley.

Overall, Snyder gave up 5 runs (4 earned) on 9 hits and a walk while striking out 5 in 6.1 innings. Bradley gave up 2 runs on 2 hits and a walk while punching out 2 before senior Shane Prance recorded the final 2 outs while giving up 1 hit.

Although the Panthers out-hit the Cougars 13-12, the difference was St. Xavier's key 2-out hits. PNC stranded 12 runners and left the bases loaded twice while St. Xavier stranded just 4 runners.

PNC's top four hitters all had 2 hits. Freshman Ty Taylor (2 hits, HBP, run), freshman Ed Moldenhauer (2 hits, RBI, run, SAC), sophomore Colin Willis (2 hits, RBI) and junior Ched Gaskin (2 hits, BB) led the Panther attack. Junior shortstop Brad Dubois added an RBI while junior first baseman Greg Toliver reached twice on a hit and a walk. 

The Panthers play again tomorrow at 2 p.m. against the loser of St. Francis and Robert Morris in an elimination game.