Lady Panthers come up just short in 3-2 loss at Carterville

The Lady Panthers came into Tuesday's conference game at Carterville with a difficult task at hand, knocking off the defending Class 2A State Champions. And while they had their fair share of chances to do so, came up just short in a 3-2 loss that ended with the bases loaded. <br />Trailing 3-2, Mayci Doerflein and Lauren Jackson led off the inning with a single and walk, respectively, and Megan Mayo laid down a textbook sacrifice bunt that Carterville failed to get the force out at third on, loading the bases up with no outs. <br />But, Carterville got the force out at home the following at-bat and then struck out the final batters to hang for the one-run win. <br />"We lost our aggressiveness a little bit there at the end," Pinckneyville head coach Alan Engelhardt said. "Instead of the kind of concept of spoil till you get a pitch they make a mistake on, we didn't fight those (pitches) off.<br />"We had few different scenarios where we had runners on second or runners third with advantageous situations (and we didn't score). That's one of the things (that factored in the loss). Too many strikeouts was one of the big things instead of put it in play and make them make a play on you."<br />Mariah Clark picked up her first loss of the season, surrendering three runs (two earned) while allowing five hits and one walk while striking out five. <br />Carterville picked up its two earned runs in the first inning, tagging Clark with an RBI triple and sacrifice fly. <br />From there, Clark held the Lady Lions to just three hits and one unearned run which came in the fifth as a leadoff double came around to score on an error with two outs. <br />Engelhardt praised his pitcher for making adjustments, something she has had to rarely do this season. <br />"We had to change the game plan kind of (after the first inning)," Engelhardt said. "All year long, I'll be honest, she has thrown it by people. So, we knew they could swing it a little bit too, but you don't want to go away from your strength. She made some adjustments today too where were used both halves of the plate. We weren't just trying to stick it one spot."<br />Josie Gleason delivered the offense for Pinckneyville, drilling a two-strike two-run home run, scoring Clark who led the inning off with a walk. <br />"She just takes such good at bats," Englehardt said. "Her early at-bat in the game kind of set the tone because the first three outs were real quick and she starts off the second inning, gets down 0-2, and then all of a sudden it was foul and foul and foul and it kind of set the tone and she worked a walk that at bat. When you take tremendous at-bats, good things happen."<br />Clark worked out of a bases loaded one-out situation in the sixth, getting the final two outs via strikeout to set up the potential comeback in the top of the seventh. <br />"I thought she did a tremendous job and she works out of the big bases loaded situation in the bottom of the sixth to put us in a situation where he had a chance at the end," Engelhardt said. "I can't say enough about what she has done for us all year long."<br />But, Carterville hung on for the 3-2 win, dropping Pinckneyville to 11-5 on the season and 3-1 in conference play. <br />The Lady Panthers will look to get back to their winning ways Thursday when they host conference foe Sparta at 4:30 p.m.