SOFTBALL: PCHS edges Trico, 6-5

Two talented freshman pitchers did battle when Mariah Clark and Pinckneyville took on Jade Kranawetter and Trico on Monday, with the Lady Panthers getting home runs from Brooklyn Morrow and Kylee Kling in their 6-5 victory at Greg Hale Field.

Though their defense was still shaky - like it was against Wesclin last week when PCHS gave away a 6-1 lead - Pinckneyville recovered from their mistakes in time against Trico. Clark stranded two runners put on with errors in the sixth, then retired the side in order in the seventh to nail down the win.

"I thought she fought," PCHS head coach Alan Engelhardt said of his pitcher. "You really feel like that should have been a 6-1 game. We gave up too much stuff we shouldn't have given up. We've got to be better with that."

An error allowed the Lady Pioneers the take a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on Jessica Prange's RBI single, but the Lady Panthers answered with a run in the bottom half of the inning when Maddie Jones scored on a wild pitch after getting on base with a walk.

Sydney Levan took clark deep to lead off the third inning and give Trico a 2-1 lead, then once again Pinckneyville responded when they came to the plate. Kling started the bottom of the third with a solo homer, then Jones doubled in front of a two-run shot by Morrow.

Jones, Morrow and Andrea Morgan all had hits in a two-run fourth inning for the Lady Panthers, who led 6-2 heading to the top of the fifth.

"(Jones and Morrow) know what pitches they're looking for," Engelhardt said, "and that comes with experience. They got great pitches to hit, and that's where the multi-hit games come from. We've got some right now who are struggling with the concept of the strike zone, and again, that's something else we've got to get better at."

Balls to the backstop, a walk and three hits - including RBIs from Prange and Emily Bauersachs - landed the Lady Pioneers three runs in the fifth inning, and two more errors had two runners on base in the sixth for Trico, but Clark retired the final four hitters she faced.

Clark finished with four earned runs allowed on six hits and three walks with ten strikeouts.

Morrow (3-3, R, 2 RBI, HR), Jones (2-3, 3 R, RBI, 2B, BB), Kling (1-4, R, RBI, HR), Morgan (1-3, R) and Caitie Opp (1-2, BB) had hits for Pinckneyville.

The Lady Panthers (6-1) are at Freeburg on Tuesday and at Steeleville on Thursday.