North Canton, Ohio – The Kentucky Wesleyan College softball team arose early on Thursday morning on to start the Great Midwest Conference Tournament. The Panthers needed extra innings to upset the fourth seed Cedarville University, 8-3. Weather pushed the start time up to earlier in the morning as more showers have slowed the progress of the event.
 
Although the venue has changed from previous years, the Panthers (22-24) continued to peak at the end of season. Wesleyan was not allowed a chance to play the Yellow Jackets (29-16) this season as they ended-up holding the fourth seed in the G-MAC's annual post-season event.
 
Autumn Grady got the ball in the opening game and pitched seven strong innings en route to a no decision. The Yellow Jackets, known for manufacturing runs did jut that in the bottom of the third inning. Cedarville moved runners into scoring position with one-out when Danae Fields doubled-in the first run of the game. Grady limited the damage and got Kara Elginger to hit into a double play to end the inning.
 
The Yellow Jackets added one more run in the bottom of the fifth as Morgan Arbogast, the G-MAC Pitcher of the Year, looked to cruising as she allowed just one hit through the first five innings. The Panthers had Arbogast figured out the third time through the order. Maddie Dawson recorded the second hit of the game for the Panthers in the top of the sixth, a solo homerun to right-center.
 
Cedarville held a 2-1 lead into the final inning. However, a one-walk to Jaclyn Parker was devastating to the Yellow Jackets as Abbey Winstead followed with a homerun over the centerfield fence, giving Wesleyan a 3-2 lead. The Yellowjackets saw extra life in the bottom half as a lead-off double led to the tying run crossing the plate.
 
After a scoreless eighth the Panthers took control as Parker led-off the ninth with a single and moved into scoring position on a groundout. Terrilynn Summers ripped a double down the left-field line, driving in the go-ahead run. The Panthers would add four more runs in the frame as Delay Mixer extended the lead with a pinch-hit RBI single. Meredith Daunhauer doubled-in two more runs while she scored on Dawson's RBI single to center.
 
Bailey Woodall pitched a scoreless eighth and ninth to earn the win. Grady completed seven innings, allowing three runs, two earned on seven hits with one strikeout. Woodall saw six batters and did not allow a hit. Daunhauer and Dawson each recorded two hits and two RBIs in the game.
 
The Panthers will play the winner of the Ohio Dominican and Hillsdale later this evening at Firestone Stadium. First pitch is tentatively scheduled for 6:30 PM CT.

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