Elsah, ILL. -- This week, Principia faced a non-conference team from Columbia, MO. The Panthers were fired up after an amazing weekend of games, and they were ready to play again. Principia split with Stephens College, which is not what they were aiming for, but they were two very well played games. Steady rain during both games made the double header tougher, but neither of the teams let that get to them and they played right through the rain and took care of business.
Game 1: Principia 6 Stephens 5
In game one, the Panthers came out firing and ready to play a great game. The Panthers were coming off of a big conference win and wanted more. The Panthers scored in almost every inning and played solid defense to hold off Stephens College in the first game. Several of the players made good contact with the bat to get runners in scoring positions and to put numbers on the scoreboard.
Delaney Gatine,
Lauren Daugherty, and
Christina Redington all had singles, while
Alyssa Hudenburg had a single and a double and
Leah Schaefer had three singles. The Panthers weren't going to let anything stop them from getting another win.
Defensively, the Panthers played very well, picking up every ball that got close to them to make an out. When it came to the last inning, though, the Panthers started to make a few errors and the Stars came a little too close for comfort. Stephens College took advantage of the mistakes being made and started to put runs on the board, but the Panthers did not let that affect them. They got their act together and got the three outs that they needed to end the game.
Game 2: Principia 6 Stephens 11
After a rough ending to game one, the Panthers knew they needed to start fresh for game two. Principia started game two determined to minimize errors and play their game. The Panthers put up three runs in the first inning, setting the tone for the game. After that inning, though, the Panthers didn't score again until the last three innings and it wasn't enough to get them the "W" they were looking for. Gatine and Daugherty had two more singles each and Hudenburg,
Genie Nyiramana and Redington all had single hits. Both
Hannah Hathaway and Schaefer had a double and a triple each to help the Panthers get on the board.
When it came to the defensive side of the game, the Panthers played several great innings, but there was one inning that got away from them. The Panthers made a lot of errors in that inning and that ended up costing them the game. Even though they had that rough inning the Panthers didn't let that get to them and they took care of all the other innings like they know they can. The Panthers battled through all the tough moments together and even though the outcome wasn't want they wanted, they played their hardest all the way till the end.
Up Next:
The Panthers have their Senior Night on Friday the 26th against Eureka College at 5:30 and 7:30. Come on out to cheer on the team and celebrate the seniors!
