XENIA, Ohio – Behind a strong pitching performance from Maci Brown, the Kentucky Wesleyan College softball team was victorious in the first round of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference softball tournament, defeating the No. 5 seed Ursuline College 5-3 on Wednesday afternoon.

The first two innings was a pitcher's duel with neither pitcher allowing a batter to reach base.  Two of the first six outs for the Panthers came from Brown strikeouts.

Jamie Tempel tabbed the first hit of the game for either team in the bottom of the third inning with a single up the middle.  Meredith Daunahuer laid down a bunt single to put two runners on with one out.  Maddie Dawson ripped a single to left center field, bringing home Jaclyn Parker.

Facing two outs and two on, Lexie Mullen launcher her conference-leading ninth home run of the season, a three-run shot to left field to put the Panthers ahead 4-0.

Both teams plated one run in the fifth inning to keep it a four-run lead for Kentucky Wesleyan.  Facing two outs and the bases loaded, Mullen reached on a fielding error by the shortstop, allowing Parker to score.

The Arrows threatened in the top of the seventh, cutting the Panthers lead to two with a two-run home run.  Autumn Grady came in for the final two outs to pick up her second win of the season.

Dawson was the lone Panther to tab multiple hits on the day, going two-for-three at the plate with one run driven in and one run scored.  Daunhauer, Mullen and Tempel each recorded one hit.

Brown picked up her conference-leading 15th win of the season, striking out three and allowing three runs off of six hits in 6.1 innings pitched.

The No. 2 seed Panthers will face the No. 3 seed Trevecca Nazarene in the second round on Thursday.

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