Panthers rebound with sweep

What a difference a week makes.

The Creston softball team opened Hawkeye Ten Conference play with a home doubleheader sweep of Harlan Tuesday night, 14-7 and 11-7.

Just six days earlier, Creston opened the season with a 28-7 home loss to Clarke. In that game, the Panther defense committed 10 errors behind pitchers who issued 19 free passes.

There were still some walks on Tuesday, but pitchers Kennedy Strider and Jensan Tussey allowed only seven hits in the first game and six in the second game. Tussey started game two and gave way to Strider, who allowed only one run in the final 2 2/3 innings. More importantly, the defense had a total of just three errors in the two games.

“I knew the girls could do it,” said first-year head coach Gracie Hagle. “Yes, it sucked last week. But I told them they have to come back, because there’s a lot of season left. Tonight they picked each other up a lot better. Because of what happened last week, I thought at the start we were a little tight. Once they started to hit the ball and saw that maybe they can do this, they started to loosen up a little bit and played better.”

Offensively, it was reminiscent of last year’s record-setting performance as the Panthers clubbed 17 hits in the opener and seven in game two. Tussey was a big run-producer all night, finishing four four hits — including a pair of doubles — with seven RBIs and four runs scored. She played left field when not pitching.

Strider had three hits on the night and drove in four runs, including a deep double plating two runs to break a 6-6 tie in game two during Creston’s six-run outburst in the sixth. Jaycee Hanson homered in the opening game and added an RBI double in game two. Sidney Staver had two hits in the nightcap.

“These girls can hit,” Hagle said. “We told them their pitchers are decent and the strikes are going to be there, they just have to go get it. We were taking the balls and hitting the strikes.”

Avery Staver and Cora Smith at the top of the order were busy on the basepaths, combining for five hits and seven stolen bases.

“We like to put pressure on the defense and then they start to struggle a little bit,” Hagle said. “We try to take advantage of our two state qualifying track people on the bases.”

Harlan found out that stealing bases on the Panthers isn’t so easy. Catchers Sidney McDonald and Sidney Staver each threw out runners trying to steal second, with Avery Staver at shortstop tagging both runners out. The Staver-to-Staver combination ended game two with Harlan trying to rally in the seventh.

Freshman outfielder Bentleigh Collier made a running catch of a liner while facing a tough sun in right field in game two. Hanson, playing third base in both games, ranged far to the fence to catch a popup in foul territory. Overall, the defense was sharper than in the opener.

“We know we can hit,” Hagle said. “As long as we’re throwing strikes and making plays, we can be a good team.”

The Panthers hit the road Thursday for another conference doubleheader in Council Bluffs against St. Albert Catholic. The Saintes swept Red Oak Tuesday, 17-0 and 18-1. Pitcher Els Narmi threw a perfect game in the opener. At Winterset Saturday, Creston takes on top-ranked ADM at 10 a.m. and Norwalk at noon.

Creston 14, Harlan 7

H: Rebeckah Christensen 0K 1BB, Maylee Hytrek (5) 1K 2BB and Suzy Kenkel. Cr: Kennedy Strider 7K 7BB and Sidney McDonald. W — Strider. L— Christensen. HR — (Cr): Jaycee Hanson. 3B — none. 2B — H: Brynn Schumacher. Cr: Jensan Tussey. RBI — H: Kenkel 1, Arkfeld 1. Cr: Tussey 5, Bentleigh Collier 2, Payton Veitz 2, Hanson 2, Sidney McDonald 1, Strider 1, Cora Smith 1 . Multiple hitters — H: Aubree Wegner 2. Cr: Tussey 3, Smith 3, Collier 2, Rohwyn Randall 2, Hanson 2, Avery Staver 2.

Creston 11, Harlan 7

H: Camryn Goshorn 3k 9BB, Maylee Hytrek (5) 0K 1BB and Kenkel. Cr: Jensan Tussey 4K 7BB, Strider (5) 2K 5BB and Sidney Staver. W — Strider. L— Goshorn. HR — none. 3B — none. 2B — H: Brynn Schumacher. Cr: Strider, Tussey, Hanson. RBI — H: Schumacher 2, Taylor Heese 1, Goshorn 1. Cr: Strider 3, Tussey 2, S. Staver 2, Hanson 1. Multiple hitters — H: Schumacher 3. Cr: S. Staver 2.