PEPPER PIKE, Ohio – Behind another stellar performance from Maci Brown, the Kentucky Wesleyan College softball team beat Ursuline 8-4 in game one before suffering a one-run loss in game two of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference series.   With the split, Kentucky Wesleyan moves to 22-16 overall and 7-5 in conference play.

Game One: Kentucky Wesleyan 8 – Ursuline 4
The Panthers struck first, scoring three runs in the top of the second including two runs from Maddie Dawson's double to center field.

Mallory Nease extended the lead to 4-0 in the top of the fifth, smashing her fifth home run of the season over the fence in left center field.

Maci Brown gave up her first hit with one out in the bottom of the fifth.  The sophomore was lights out for her second straight start, this time striking out six thru the first four innings.

With two on and one out in the top of the sixth, Dawson came up clutch again, this time with a bases-clearing triple to right field.  Dawson scored on a single from the next batter, Jaylin Tidwell.

Kentucky Wesleyan tacked on its final run in the top of the seventh with Meredith Daunhauer scoring on a groundout from Tidwell.  Three straight hits with one out plated the first runs of the game for Ursuline.  They cut the Panthers lead down to four but Casey Smith struck out the final batter.

Brown picked up her conference-leading 11th win of the season, striking out nine and allowing four runs off of seven hits in 6.2 innings pitched.  Smith earned her fourth save of the season in 0.1 innings, striking out the only batter she faced.

Dawson finished game one four-for-five at the plate with four RBI's and scoring two runs herself.  Daunhauer went three-for-five with two runs scored and one stolen base.  Tidwell, Nease, Courtney Lockwood, Abbey Winstead, Jamie Tempel and Jaclyn Parker recorded one hit each.

Game Two: Kentucky Wesleyan 8 – Ursuline 9
Kentucky Wesleyan erased a four-run deficit in game two, but ultimately lost by one.  Lexie Mullen led off the top of the sixth with a single to center field and reached third on a double from Nease.  Tempel grounded out for the second out of the inning but brought home Mullen to cut Kentucky Wesleyan's deficit to three.

Parker kept the rally going with a double to right center, scoring Nease.  A single from Daunhauer and a walk from Dawson loaded the bases with two outs.  A fly ball to left field from Tidwell that was misplayed by the left fielder allowed all three base runners to score, giving the Panthers a 7-6 lead.  Lockwood drove in Tidwell for the final run of the inning with a single to left field.

The Arrows responded with three runs off of three hits in the bottom of the inning to regain a one-run lead.  Despite pounding five hits in the sixth inning, the Panthers bats went cold in the seventh, going three up and three down and suffering a one-run loss.

Autumn Grady earned the start, pitching 4.1 innings and giving out six runs off of 11 hits while striking out two.  In 1.0 inning of relief, Jessica Carmon was handed her third loss of the season, allowing three runs off of two hits.  In the final 0.2 innings, Smith held Ursuline scoreless with only one hit.

Daunhauer finished game two three-for-four at the plate with two runs scored and two stolen bases.  Tidwell, Lockwood and Mullen each went two-for-four.

The Panthers return to action this weekend hosting Alderson Broaddus in a four-game G-MAC weekend series.  The two teams will square off with a pair of doubleheaders at 12 pm CT on Friday then 10 am CT on Saturday.

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