HARLAN — In a varsity double-header, the Creston Panthers softball team outscored the Cyclones 28-2 in two games Tuesday at Harlan, improving to 3-1. Meanwhile, the Panthers baseball team fell 7-8 and 15-6 to slip to 4-6.
Baseball
Itching for a victory to stop the losing streak, the Panthers came out with a vengeance in game one, scoring seven runs in the first two innings.
McCoy Haines singled, Tom Mikkelsen was walked and Sam Henry was hit by a pitch to get bases loaded for the Panthers as pitcher Dylan Hoepker stepped up to bat. A grand slam sent all four home.
In the second inning, the first three batters, Milo Staver, Dylan Calvin and Kyle Strider all made it home, Strider sending the first two home and Haines with a sacrifice hit to earn the third run.
The Cyclones brought in their second pitcher, Brock Lemerick, in the second inning who threw 41 strikes on 77 pitches, not allowing any runs.
Throughout the first three innings, the Cyclones only put two on base and didn’t score. Hoepker pitched just over four innings, throwing 47 strikes on 78 pitches.
“I thought we did a much better job at the plate tonight,” Coach Brandon Phipps said. “We need to continue to improve as a cohesive unit.”
The game shifted gears in the fourth as Harlan found two runs. This was followed up with three in the fifth as a home run by Stephen Leinen sent two others home.
In the seventh, with two outs, the Panthers were up by one and the Cyclones had two on base. A hit down the middle by Cael Goshhorn sent Hayden Soma and Leninen home for a walk-off 8-7 victory.
In game two, Strider doubled among two hits, drove in one run and scored once to lead Creston. Quinten Fuller had three RBIs at the plate.
The Panthers fell 15-6 as Cade Sears doubled, tripled, drove in three and scored twice, and Goshhorn posted another three hits with two RBIs to lead Harlan.
“Our pitchers deserved wins this evening, it just unfortunately did not get it done on the defensive end,” Phipps said. “We look forward to getting back at it tomorrow vs. I-35 at home.”
Softball
Scoring 14 in game one and 12 in game two, the Panthers softball team was on a roll against the Cyclones.
In game one, Nevaeh Randall led the Panthers with four runs, sending three home.
In the second inning, Jersey Foote and Daile Keeler hit home runs, making the score 6-0. Randall hit a home run of her own in the third. Up to bat five times, Randall finished with a batting percentage of .800
Down 11-0 in the fourth, the Cyclones found their two runs of the game with Ella Plagman and Abbie Schechinger.
Keely Coen pitched all seven innings for the Panthers, throwing 66 strikes on 89 pitches, allowing only two runs. Harlan utilized two pitchers who threw for a combined 63 strikes on 117 pitches.
In game two, the Panthers continued their dominance. Randall, Foote, Ava Adamson, Zoey Vandevender and Jacy Kralik each earned two runs for the Panthers. Randall had her second home run of the night.
Also scoring for the Panthers were Mila Kuhns and Sophie Hagle.
Pitching a shutout for the Panthers was Taryn Fredrickson who threw for 36 strikes on 64 pitches.
The Cyclones again utilized two pitchers who threw a combined 54 strikes on 80 pitches, allowing 12 runs.
The Panthers return to action Thursday in Glenwood.
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