PCHS SOFTBALL: Lady Panthers Rally Past Rival

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[ No one cares to remember the last time Pinckneyville Community High School's Girls Softball team started conference play with an 0-2 record. Thanks to some late inning heroics, that situation will be avoided for at least another year.

Scoring two runs in the last of the seventh, the Lady Panthers rallied to an exciting 7-6 win over River-to-River Conference leading Anna-Jonesboro at Hale Field.

Now 11-3, PCHS is 1-1 within Mississippi Division play. A-J's records are 11-3 and 2-1.

"I'll give our kids some credit," Lady Panthers coach Greg Hale said. "Because we got down and just refused to give up."

A-J opened a 3-0 lead against Pinckneyville starter Sarah Malanowski in the fourth inning.

The Lady Panthers bounced right back, however, scratching out two runs after a rare wild streak by A-J pitcher Lyndsay Patterson. Three walks, an error and hit batter pulled the Lady Panthers close.

With the Wildcats ahead 4-2- and Patterson working on a no-hitter-PCHS managed its first hit on a single by Dani Jenkel in the sixth. The hit scored two runs. A passed ball accounted for the third tally as Pinckneyville forged ahead 5-4.

Rachel Hayden's two-run home run to deep leftcenter off PCHS reliever Emily Chapman put A-J back in front entering the last of the seventh.

Pinckneyville started the bottom of the frame with a walk to Nicole Cheek. She swiped second base and scored on Emily Miller's RBI hit.

With the scored tied at 6-6, Mo Ramsey doubled to the fence and sent Miller racing home from first base. She scored easily, giving Pinckneyville another dramatic victory.

Ramsey's hit was one of just three by the Lady Panthers.

"This is not the way we like to win games but we'll take it," Hale admitted. "Its a sign of a good team when we don't play at our best and still beat a good team."

The Lady Panthers visit Chester Wednesday.

PCHS 7, Anna-Jonesboro 6

A-J 002 120 2-6 10 2

PCHS 000 203 2-7 3 3

Patterson, Hayden (7) and Rendleman. Malanowski, Chapman (4) and Ramsey, Cheek (5). WP-Chapman, 9-1. LP-Hayden. TOP HITTERS-A-J: Lence 3-4 (RBI), Hayden 1-2 (HR, 2 RBI), Patterson 2-3. PCHS: Jenkel 1-2 (2 RBI), Miller 1-1 (RBI), Ramsey 1-3 (2B, RBI). JUNIOR VARSITY-PCHS 0, A-J 0 (tie)