VIENNA, W. Va. – The Kentucky Wesleyan College softball team opened conference play on Friday, posting two victories over Ohio Valley, 9-6 and 4-1. With the pair of wins, the Panthers extend their win streak to four and improve to 17-9 overall and 2-0 on the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.
Game One: Kentucky Wesleyan 9 – Ohio Valley 6
With two outs and the bases loaded in the top of the second, Meredith Daunhauer cleared the bases with a triple to right center. The sophomore then scored, taking advantage of a throwing error, to put the Panthers ahead 4-0. Three batters later, Maddie Dawson scored on a wild pitch to put Kentucky Wesleyan up by five.
It was déjà vu in the bottom of the frame, with the Fighting Scots tabbing a bases-clearing triple of their own. Ohio Valley plated four runs in the inning to cut the deficit to one.
The Panthers pulled away with three runs in the third and another in the fourth. Jamie Tempel drove in two with a single to right field, and Daunhauer brought home Tempel with a single to center. Mallory Nease knocked a single to left field in the fourth to score Tidwell and extend Kentucky Wesleyan's lead to 9-4.
Ohio Valley scored one run in the fifth and threatened in the bottom of the seventh. Back-to-back hits to lead off the inning would plate one run for the Fighting Scots but the Panthers held on for the win.
Autumn Grady picked up her sixth win of the season, striking out three and allowing four runs off of six hits. In three innings of relief Casey Smith struck out one and allowed two runs off of three hits, picking up her second save of the season.
Tempel finished game one three-for-four at the plate with two runs driven in and two runs scored herself. Daunhauer, Dawson, Nease and Lexie Mullen each tabbed two hits. Daunhauer led the Panthers with four runs driven in.
Game Two: Kentucky Wesleyan 4 – Ohio Valley 1
The Panthers took a quick 1-0 lead in the first, with Daunhauer scoring on a sacrifice fly from Dawson. Two innings later, Mullen knocked a double to center, bringing home Tidwell and Dawson. Nease followed up with a single up the middle, scoring Mullen and giving Kentucky Wesleyan a 4-0 lead.
Three straight hits in the bottom of the fifth allowed the Fighting Scots to get on the board. Ohio Valley tabbed three hits in the final two innings, but strong defense allowed the Panthers to hold on for the 4-1 win.
Maci Brown picked up her seventh win of the season, striking out five and allowing four hits. Brown held the Fighting Scots scoreless and didn't give up any walks. Jessica Carmon earned her first save of the season with three innings of relief, allowing six hits and giving up one run.
Tidwell went three-for-four in game two with one run scored while Dawson went two-for-three. Daunhauer, Mullen, Nease, Tempel and Jaclyn Parker each recorded one hit. Mullen led the Panthers with two runs driven in.
The two teams will wrap up the weekend series on Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at 11 am CT.
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