Potters bounce back, sweep West Coast Kings

After a tough series loss to the Humboldt Crabs that halted a 15-game winning streak, the Lincoln Potters responded as well as they could — with fire, focus and a two-game sweep of the West Coast Kings in Pacific Empire League play. First-year manager Eli Garcia was pleased with how his team responded to their first major setback of the campaign, noting they didn't let any bad vibes from the series loss linger. "Obviously, it sucks to lose a series but hats off to Humboldt. They're a good team," said Garcia after Tuesday's 12-0 drubbing of the Kings. "It was kind of a little wake-up call for us. We found some things that we need to work on and we did a good job of doing that today." Garcia also noted that nobody was above criticism from the series against the Crabs, including himself. "Ultimately, the biggest thing is it starts with me," said Garcia. "There were some things that I wish I could have done a little differently. At the end of the day, the point is getting better, especially in summer ball. We are finding things to get better at every single day." The Potters set the tone for the series early Tuesday night, as catcher Adam Paniagua of Regis University launched a towering 395-foot grand slam that blew the game wide open. Paniagua, the reigning NCAA Division II National Player of the Year, has picked up where he left off last season with a .424 batting average and 10 RBIs in nine games this summer. "I've loved it so far here. The atmosphere is awesome and it's really a privilege to get to play in front of people that really care about their team and have their players' backs," said Paniagua. "I have nothing but good things to say about the city of Lincoln so far." Paniagua said Tuesday's victory was the reset the Potters needed, especially since they will travel to see the Crabs for three more games this weekend in a pivotal series that could have postseason implications. "It was huge just to be able to take a step back, take a deep breath, relax and realize it's just baseball. It's nothing too crazy," said Paniagua. "We didn't have to press as much and sometimes we just have to kind of sit back and enjoy playing the game. I think that showed in the way we played." Lincoln had a strong start from John Alkire on Tuesday, as the Texas State product pitched four innings and struck out four. Dawson Radik, Jaxson Byrd and Quinten Marsh combined for the final five innings and allowed just three hits and two walks to preserve the shutout. The Potters built a big lead Wednesday night and fended off a late push by the Kings, securing an 11-6 triumph. Everet Johnson, Paniagua, Bryan Williams Jr. and Jake Lavin each drove in two runs, while Russell Pettis struck out five in four innings to earn the win. Lincoln (19-3, 4-2 PEL) will be back at McBean Stadium on Tuesday night for a nonleague contest against the California Tigers.