Don Kuhnen, AP Sports
The EP girls varsity softball team rallied from a 6-0 deficit to win their season opening game. The Panthers scored 4 runs in the 6th and 1 more in the 7th inning to win at home on a beautiful Thursday afternoon.
Kewanee jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the top of the first thanks to a couple of walks, errors and hits. The Boilermakers added a solo run in the third to go up by 6.
Mya Jones started a rally in the bottom of the 5th inning with a solid single which was followed by a bunt single from freshman Sydney Schwartz. Aylah Jones RBI single got the Panthers on the board. Emma Davis sacrifice fly and Ady Scott’s bloop single made the score 6-3 after 5.
Kewanee added another run in the top of the 6th to put the Panthers down 4. Mya Jone’s double drove in the first run and a Kewanee error made it 7-5. Junior Jaden Johnson then came through with a clutch 2 run triple to tie the game heading to the 7th.
After Aylah Jones set the Boilers down with no runs, the Panthers started their game winning rally. After an out, Corrie Remley was hit by a pitch. Mya Jones then singled for her 4th hit and Schwartz single down the left field line ended the game.
Remley pitched the first 4 innings for the Panthers allowing 2 earned runs and Aylah Jones pitched the final 3 allowing 1 earned run. Coach Kerrie Tenboer was extremely excited after the game saying, “That first inning was hard to come back from but we kept encouraging the girls and they performed in the clutch.”
The Panthers host the Fulton Steamers Saturday at 10 A.M. in Prophetstown.
