Kentucky Wesleyan College Athletics

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
Coming off a tough series against Great Midwest Athletic Conference foe Alderson Broaddus, Kentucky Wesleyan softball looked to rebound against Davis & Elkins.

Casey Smith's four hit shutout in game one gave the Panthers a spark to win 1-0 in that contest and Kaci Ovelgoenner's go-ahead bloop single in the sixth inning of game two gave KWC a lead that they would keep, fighting to a 9-6 win in game two.  With the victories, KWC improved to 23-13 on the season and 13-6 in G-MAC play.

GAME ONE – KWC 1, D&E 0

Timely hitting from Kayla Norris in the third inning led the Panthers to their only run of the game.  Norris singled to lead off the inning and moved to second on a wild pitch.  She continued her trek around the bases, moving to third on a single by Amber Pendergraft.

With no outs, the next batter, Mackenzie Weedman, grounded into a double play that was enough to score Norris and give KWC the lead.  That would be all that Smith would need.

She would allow just four hits and one walk with one strikeout to earn her 10th win of the season.

GAME TWO – KWC 9, D&E 6

Game two was much more eventful offensively.  Davis & Elkins would strike first with two runs in the first, before KWC responded to take a 3-2 lead after one.

D&E would tie the game at three in the second, but the Panthers retook the lead in the fourth on an RBI single by Pendergraft.  The Senators took the lead for the final time in the fifth inning on a home run to make it 5-4, but KWC would not be held down, scoring twice in the inning to lead 6-5 after 5.

Starter Josalyn Ress got into some trouble in the fifth, loading the bases and allowing the tying run before being lifted for Jessica Carmon.  She was able to escape any further damage in that inning, but allowed D&E to tie it in the sixth.

As they had done all game long, KWC responded again, putting the game away for good this time.  Norris walked with one out in the inning and moved to second on a bunt single by Pendergraft. 

A single by Weedman loaded the bases and Ovelgoenner finally broke through, blooping one into center field to give the Panthers a 7-6 lead.  Samantha Marksbury, who had already driven in a run in the game, singled to right field with two outs to give the Panthers a little more cushion at 9-6.

Smith came into the game in the seventh and retired the side in order to give KWC the sweep.  Carmon was the winner, pitching 1.2 innings and allowing two hits and a run while striking out one; Smith pitched a perfect seventh for save number two on the season.

KWC takes the field against Davis & Elkins again tomorrow, with first pitch scheduled for 11 a.m. CT.  It will be Senior Day, and the softball team will recognize Ress, Pendergraft and Ashley Crooke after the game, which is the final regular season contest for the Panthers.