Principia Softball sweeps Maranatha in their last games of the season

Elsah, ILL. -- The Panthers celebrated their two seniors tonight with two wins over Maranatha Baptist University. The team showed great poise and control and secured two wins to end the season on a high note.

Game 1: Principia 10, Maranatha 2
The Panthers got off to a great start defensively with a 1-2-3 inning lead by Lauren Daugherty throwing out Maranatha's lead runner on the attempted steal at second base.  The Panther defense consistently shut Maranatha down, but two mental errors in the fourth inning cost the Panthers two runs. Lauren Daugherty, again, had a nice throw to pick off Maranatha's lead runner at third base to get the Panthers out of the inning. Principia sat Maranatha's offense down for good in the top of the fifth inning with a great relay from Leah Schaefer to senior Aleigha Russell for the third out of the inning.

Offensively, the Panthers came out ready to attack and put up two runs in the first inning. Lauren Daugherty and Leah Schaefer each hit a double and had one RBI in that inning. The Panthers continued their offensive attack in the second inning, putting up four more runs. Principia loaded the bases in the bottom of the fifth inning and scored the two runs they needed to end the game in a mercy rule. Hits for game one go to Alyssa Hudenburg with a single, Lauren Daugherty with a single, a double, and two RBIs, Leah Schaefer with two doubles and two RBIs, and senior Tanya Marquardt with a single and an RBI.

Game 2: Principia 8, Maranatha 3
The Panthers had a rough start in game two, where they gave up two runs in the first inning. However, tight defense kept Maranatha off the board for several innings. One unfortunate hit in the top of the fifth inning scored Maranatha's third run, but the Panther defense quickly shut them down. After a slow offensive second inning, Lauren Daugherty hit a double with two RBIs in the bottom of the third inning to take the lead back. Leah Schaefer followed her with another double that scored Daugherty.

Hits for game two go to Emily Hewitt with a single, Alyssa Hudenburg with a double and an RBI, Lauren Daugherty with a double and two RBIs, and Leah Schaefer with a double and two RBIs. After securing a nice lead, the Panthers found themselves in a slippery situation in the top of the seventh inning with Maranatha runners in scoring position. The Panthers kept their composure, and senior Aleigha Russell made the final catch to end the game.

Thanks to all who supported the team this season, see you next year!