Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 Fulton, MO. -- The Panthers travelled to Fulton, Missouri to take on the Westminster Blue Jays in their latest conference action and final away contests. In game one, the Panthers managed to load the bases in the first inning with only one out, putting pressure on the home squad. The Westminster women were able to work out of the jam, stranding the three runners.
Aleigha Russell started in the circle for the Panthers, who encountered a rough start, as the Blue Jays scored 6 runs in the bottom half of the first inning without a recorded out. The Panthers answered with a run of their own in the top half of the second, as AC McMullin drove in
Tanya Marquardt. The Panthers were held to only one run until the fifth inning, when
Leah Schaefer led off with a triple.
Claire Thompson cashed in a two out base hit adding a second and final run to the Panther score. The onslaught of Blue Jay offense and some defensive errors led to a final score of 17-2 in favor of the Blue Jays. Overall, the Panthers hit the ball well, recording eight hits through five innings of play. AC McMullin and
Claire Thompson led the way, with two hits each, and
Leah Schaefer, Sam Bronkar,
Tori Cheatham and
Tanya Marquardt each contributed a hit to the team total. Although the score was not in favor of the Panthers, they remained optimistic and determined to bring a more competitive edge into the second game.
Game two started in favor of the Panthers, as
Leah Schaefer took the ball and held off the Blue Jays in the opening frame. With one out and a runner on first base, Schaefer managed to get a double play ball, hit hard to
Tanya Marquardt at shortstop. The Panthers then took control, scoring the first two runs of the ball game in the second inning. Seniors
Tori Cheatham and
Kelsey Whitney drove in a runner each, making the score 2-0. Unfortunately, the Blue Jay offense answered, scoring twelve runs in their half of the second inning. Schaefer managed to hold them to only two more runs in the third and fourth innings, but the Blue Jay offense was just too much to handle, leading to a final score of 14-2. The Panthers were held to only three hits in the second game of the series, coming from
Leah Schaefer,
Tori Cheatham and
Kelsey Whitney.
The Panthers will be back in action tomorrow at home, for a doubleheader against Fontbonne University. We will be celebrating our seniors,
Kelsey Whitney and
Tori Cheatham, so be sure to come out and support the Panther women in their last games of the year!
