(Atlantic) Zoey Kirchhoff’s two-run walk-off homerun vaulted Atlantic over Creston (4-3) in game two of a doubleheader at Atlantic on Monday night.
The Panthers held a 3-2 lead going into the bottom of the seventh. Claire Pellett drew a walk with two outs when Kirchhoff stepped to the plate a blasted a two-run shot over the left field fence to give the Trojans the 4-3 win.
Atlantic plated one run in the bottom of the second inning, and the Panthers responded with three runs in the top of the third. Neveah Randall walked, Jersey Foote drilled a double, Ava Adamson followed with a 2 RBI two-bagger, and came home on Daile Keeler’s fly ball to right field to give Creston a 3-1 cushion. Atlantic’s Ava Rush scored for the Trojans in the bottom of the fifth to make it a 3-2 game. Then Kirchhoff’s big hit in the seventh ended the game, 4-3.
Atlantic scored four runs on five hits. Zoey Kirchhoff earned the win in the circle for the Trojans, allowing three runs on six hits, with one strikeout, and walking one batter. Besides Kirchhoff’s homerun, Lila Wiederstein led the team with two singles.
Taryn Fredrickson pitched a solid game for the Panthers, allowing four runs on five hits, striking out seven, and walking four batters. Ava Adamson led the visitors at the plate with a double and a single.
In game one, Atlantic vaulted to a 4-0 lead through two innings. Ava Rush led off with a single in the bottom of the first inning, and Claire Pellett walked. Kirchhoff drilled a single, driving home Rush, Pellett scored on a passed ball, and Wood drove home Kirchhoff to give Atlantic a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. The home team plated another run in the second. Rush scored on Pellett’s RBI base knock in the second to put the Trojans on top 4-0. Neveah Randall put the Panthers on the board in the third inning with a solo shot over the right-center field fence, and Jace Kralik scored on a fielder’s choice in the top of the fifth to close the gap to 4-2. However, the Trojans secured the win with an insurance run in the sixth to secure the 5-2 victory. The home team scored five runs on 12 hits. Riley Wood earned the win in the circle allowing two runs on eight hits, four strikeouts, and no walks. Ava Rush went 3-4 at the plate, Pellett, 3-3, Kirchhoff 2-4, and Riley Wood had two hits for the Trojans.
For Creston, Randall led the way with three hits, Jersey Foote, went 2-4, and Mila Kuhns finished the game 2-3 at the plate.
Atlantic takes a 3-1 conference mark to Harlan on Tuesday. Creston falls to 3-2 in the Conference and hosts Clarinda on Tuesday.
