In the final regular season softball game for both teams, the Starr’s Mill Lady Panthers defeated the McIntosh Lady Chiefs on the road by a final score of 14-5 in just five innings of play.
“We looked pretty good tonight,” said Panthers coach Mark Williamson whose team wrapped up the regular season with an overall record of 21-6-1 with a 6-4 region mark. “We hit the ball well. It seems like we were hitting up and down the lineup.”
One Lady Panther in particular, Sarah Flanders (2-for-4), had herself a day at the plate and finished with a double, a triple and four RBI. Alysen Febrey and Natalie Orcutt each finished 2-for-4 with two RBI for Starr’s Mill.
As a team Starr’s Mill out hit McIntosh nine to just two.
This game started off as more of a contest than the final score would suggest as the Lady Panthers struck first with two runs in the top of the second inning before McIntosh responded with a run in the bottom of the inning.
From there Starr’s Mill seemingly took the game by the reins after they erupted for four runs in the top of the third. Control issues by Lady Panthers freshman pitcher Febrey led to a three-run third inning for McIntosh, two on walks.
Entering the fifth inning McIntosh only trailed 6-4 and seemed primed to be in it until the end, however the Lady Panthers had other plans as they buried the Lady Chiefs behind an eight-run assault that transformed a tight contest into a 14-4 thumping.
The Lady Chiefs put three runners aboard in the bottom of the fifth which plated just one run.
As a result of the win Starr’s Mill maintained the fifth seed entering the region tournament which pits them against Ola on Monday at Whitewater high school.
The Lady Chiefs will enter the region tournament as the sixth seed and will have to face Whitewater.
“I told my team that we have to regroup and get ready for the region tournament next weekend,” said Chiefs coach Lisa Pearson whose team ended with a 8-10-1 record overall despite going 6-4 in the region. “We just have to show up.” |
