SOFTBALL: Lady Panthers extend win streak to five
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[The Lady Panthers won their fifth game in a row Friday, a 12-2 five-inning short game victory over visiting Woodlawn behind multi-hit efforts from Jordyn Wieland, Taylor Cheek and Shersty Stanton.
Pinckneyville softball (16-10) has not lost since April 19 at Du Quoin.
"We've gotten on a little bit of a winning streak here," said PCHS head softball coach Mike Cheek. "I think it's building our confidence and we're playing a little better defensively. I know we're playing better defensively than we were earlier in the season. That's always been our goal and hopefully we're getting to where we need to be for the postseason run."
Wieland, Dani Schoenbacher and Cheek each had hits to start the bottom of the first for Pinckneyville with Schoenbacher and Cheek each driving in runs. Kala Emling added an RBI later in the inning as the Lady Panthers jumped out in front 4-0 and never allowed Woodlawn back into the ball game.
Taylor Howard tossed the first three and a third innings for Pinckneyville and allowed one earned run on five hits and two walks with a pair of strikeouts. Kayla Harris took over after that, going an inning and two-thirds and allowing one earned run on two hits, three walks and three Ks.
Wieland (3-3, 2B, 3 R, RBI), Schoenbacher (1-2, 2B, SAC, R, 2 RBI), Cheek (2-3, BB, 2 R, 3 RBI), Stanton (3-4, R, 3 RBI), Emling (1-2, R, RBI) and Keelyn Stein (1-2, R) did the hitting for PCHS.
Pinckneyville is at Goreville on Monday before hosting Benton on Tuesday.
"It seems like things are almost there," said Cheek. "Our schedule (this week) is set up well for us to be prepared for the Regional."
It will be Cheek's second regional as head coach after last year's loss to then up-and-coming Du Quoin, and he admits that while it's still the postseason, things are a bit different in 2012 dealing with a younger team as opposed to a veteran squad like he had in 2011.
"If you don't have some nerves about you in the postseason there's something wrong with you," Cheek said. "I think these kids are a little more loose, I thought last year we went into Regionals a little too nervous. These kids seem to be loose and excited to play. It's a little bit different feeling."
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