(Creston) Creston’s big first inning in game one and power hitting in game two led to a 14-4 and a 7-4 sweep over Atlantic in a doubleheader softball game on Monday night.
Eleven Creston hitters stepped to the plate in the first inning, piling eight runs on seven hits. Five of the first six hitters in the Panthers lineup drilled base knocks. Jersey Foote Smacked two doubles in the same inning, and Gracie Hagle laced a single and a double to lead the charge.
“I thought we were locked in at the start,” said Creston Head Coach Mike McCabe. “Those eight runs early allowed us to settle in, and the game went from there. It gave us some room for error, and Keely Coen pitched an excellent game. “
The Trojan placed a small dent in the deficit in the top of the second inning on Lila Wiedersteins’ double and score. However, the Panthers kept the pressure on countering with three runs in the bottom of the third inning. Morgan Driskell’s RBI double pushed the lead to 11-1.
In the top of the third inning, Maddie Huddleson and Jada Jensen singled and scored to close the gap to 11-3. But, Creston answered again with three runs in the bottom of the third inning and sealed the deal with a 14-4 victory in five innings.
Jersey Foot went a perfect three-for-three at the plate with two RBI. Gracie Hagle, Morgan Driskell, Halle Evans, and Keely Coen belted two hits apiece.
Maddie Huddleson led the Trojans with two hits, and Jada Jensen, Zoey Kirchhoff, and Lila Wiederstein accounted for the Trojans’ other three.
Keely Coen picked up the win in the circle. The junior struck out four and walked one.
The Panthers flexed its muscles in the nightcap with three home runs. Taryn Fredricksen drilled a solo shot in the second inning. Morgan Driskell powered a line drive over the 210-foot mark to centerfield for a two-run homer in the third, and Nevaeh Randall sailed a three-run shot over the left field fence in the fifth frame to give Creston a 7-1 lead.
Atlantic rallied in the top of the seventh inning. Ava Rush walked, Maddie Huddleson and Jada Jensen reached base on errors, and Zoey Kirchhoff’s single drove home two runs to bring the Atlantic within striking distance, 7-4. But the Panthers held on and closed out the win 7-4.
Gracie Hagle led the Panthers with a 3-3 effort at the plate, and Taryn Fredricksen hit a homer and a double.
Rush, Kirchhoff, Riley Wood, and Claire Pellett singled for Atlantic.
The Trojans fall to 4-2 in Conference play and 8-4 overall. Creston moves to 5-1 in the conference.
