OWENSBORO, KY. – The Kentucky Wesleyan College softball team saw two strong outings from Autumn Grady and Maci Brown as the Panthers split two games against Bellarmine University on Monday afternoon. Wesleyan fell 2-1 in 10 innings in the opener, but came back to take game two 3-2.
 
Game 1: Bellarmine 2, Kentucky Wesleyan 1 (10INN)
Grady went the distance, pitching 10 innings, allowing two runs, one earned on five hits with 10 strikeouts. The Panthers (19-24) held a 1-0 lead from the fourth inning as Maddie Dawson drove-in the lone run of the game with a sacrifice fly. The Knights (22-23) were left guessing at the plate for most of the game.
 
However, Rachel Ayer led-off the top of the seventh with a homerun to tie the game. Bellarmine took advantage of the tie-breaker where a runner is placed on second after the ninth inning. A two-out single by Sydney Oskin scored the winning run.  
 
The Panthers attempted to tie the game in the bottom half on Lexie Mullen's single, but Bailey Woodall was thrown out at home plate. Abbey Winstead doubled down the third base line to put runners on the second and third with one out, but a ground out and strike-out ended the game. The game was littered with missed opportunities for the Panthers as they left 13 runners on base throughout the game. Wesleyan had runners on base in all but one inning on the day.
 
Meredith Daunhauer finished the game four for five. Mullen was three for five on the day.
 
Game 2: Bellarmine 2, Kentucky Wesleyan 3
Brown earned her sixth win of the season in the second game as the Panthers' offense came back to split the day. The Knights held a 1-0 lead after three innings. The Panthers tied and took the lead in the bottom of the fourth when Jaclyn Parker ripped a double into right centerfield, scoring two.
 
Wesleyan added some insurance in the bottom of the sixth when Daunhauer scored on Jaylin Tidwell's two-out double into left-centerfield. An error in the top of the seventh allowed the lead-off hitter to reach base while a one-out single put runners on the corners. Bailey Woodall took over for Brown to get the last two outs and earn her first save of the season.
 
Brown pitched 6.1 innings, allowing two runs, one earned run on five hits with one strikeout. Daunhauer finished the game two for three with a walk. Parker was also two for three on the day with a double.
 
The Panthers will travel East this weekend to play Alderson Broaddus. First pitch on Friday in Philippi, W.V. is scheduled for 1 PM.
 
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