MARION, Ill. – The Kentucky Wesleyan softball team was defeated in their first two games at the Oasis Collegiate Classic on Friday.
The Panthers (3-11) began the day with a quick 3-0 deficit versus Ferris State (8-5) after an inning and a half. In the bottom of the second, the Wesleyan offense fought back.
Paige Crain worked a walk and Hannah Beasley followed with a single to set up Abby Cunningham, who hit a ground ball to third that the third basemen couldn't gather. The error allowed Crain to cross the plate.
Cami Cox came up next and hit a sacrifice fly that plated Beasley, and Cunningham later stole third with her sister, Riley Cunningham, at the plate. The latter sister hit her own hard ground ball to the shortstop that resulted in another error and drove the former sister home to tie the game at 3-3.
That was all the offense the Panthers could put together. Ferris State scored three runs in the fourth, one in the fifth, and three in the seventh on their way to a 10-3 win.
Wesleyan opened their second game of the day by building an early 1-0 advantage. Riley Cunningham led off with a walk, Chloe Apple later reached on a fielder's choice, and Kennedy Matheis followed with a double that drove in Cunningham.
The Blue Tigers (3-0) responded with six runs in the second and never looked back. Lincoln added two in the fourth and one in the sixth to finalize their 9-1 victory.
The Panthers are set to play two more at the Oasis Collegiate Classic tomorrow, February 28th. Wesleyan will take on 25th-ranked McKendree at 10:00 AM before battling Purdue Northwest at 3:00 PM.
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