OWENSBORO, Ky. – Meredith Daunhauer stole her 39th base of the season on Friday, setting a single season record and also extending her lead in the career stolen bases category at 70 as the Kentucky Wesleyan College softball team swept Malone University in a Great Midwest Athletic Conference doubleheader. With the pair of wins, the Panthers move to 32-20 on the season and 16-8 in conference play.
Game One: Malone 2 – Kentucky Wesleyan 3
It was a pitcher's duel for the first three innings, with the two teams combining for just four hits. The Pioneers threatened in the top of the first, loading the bases with two outs but a pop up ended the inning.
The Panthers got the scoring started in the bottom of the fourth innings after Courtney Lockwood drew a walk to lead off the inning. Pinch runner Hannah Slack worked her way around the bases on a groundout and a single to reach third. Jamie Tempel knocked a single through the right side to score Slack and put Kentucky Wesleyan ahead 1-0.
In the bottom of the fifth, Lexie Mullen stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded and one out. A hard hit ground ball deflected off the shortstop and headed to centerfield, allowing Jaylin Tidwell and Maddie Dawson to score.
Malone scored two runs off of two hits and one error in the top of the sixth to cut the Panthers lead to one. The winning run reached first base in the top of the seventh but Kentucky Wesleyan held on for the 3-2 win.
Maci Brown picked up her 14th win of the season, pitching 6.1 innings and allowing two runs off of five hits while striking out three. Casey Smith earned her fifth win of the season, closing out the final 0.2 innings and holding the Pioneers hitless.
Tempel was the lone Panther to tab multiple hits, going two-for-three and driving in one run. Dawson, Mullen, Mallory Nease, Abbey Winstead and Jaclyn Parker each tabbed one hit.
Game Two: Malone 1 – Kentucky Wesleyan 9 (five innings)
The Panthers struck first again in game two, plating one run in the first inning. Daunhauer led off the game with a bunt single and reached second on a sacrifice bunt from Dawson. Tidwell drove the ball to right field for a one-run double, giving the Panthers a 1-0 lead.
Malone tabbed one run in the top of the second but Kentucky Wesleyan answered back with two runs in the bottom of the frame to regain a two-run lead. Facing two outs with the bases loaded, Dawson knocked a single to left center, scoring Parker and Tempel.
Kentucky Wesleyan broke out for five hits in the bottom of the fifth, scoring six runs and ending the game on the run rule. Winstead ripped a one-run single to right center followed by a sacrifice fly from Tempel to put the Panthers ahead 6-1. Dawson finished the game with a bases clearing three-run double down the right field line. The double marked her 15th of the season, tying the single season record set by Linda Rogers in 1991.
Autumn Grady earned her ninth win of the season, pitching all 5.0 innings and striking out two while allowing one run off of seven hits.
Daunhauer finished game two three-for-four at the plate with one run scored. Dawson, Tidwell, Nease and Winstead all went two-for-three with Dawson leading the way with five runs batted in.
The two teams will be face off again in a doubleheader on Saturday with a doubleheader currently set for a 12 pm CT start. Saturday will mark Senior Day as the team honors its two seniors Casey Smith and Jessica Carmon with a post game ceremony.
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