Pinckneyville beats Mater Dei to advance to state finals in softball
JOHNSTON CITY - Two schools that have battled one another in multiple sports throughout the years squared off yet again Monday with a state berth in softball on the line. And on this occasion, the Pinckneyville Panthers bested their rival, Breese Mater Dei, posting a 2-1 win at the Johnston City Class 2A Supersectional.
It was a pitcher's duel supreme with the Panthers' Taylor Witges outdoing the Knights' Haley Palm. Witges went the distance, checking Mater Dei to one run on five hits with six strikeouts and three walks. Palm hurled six frames, surrendered two earned runs on only two hits with five strikeouts and a staggering six walks.
PCHS jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning and added a single tally in the third for a 2-0 lead. The Knights scored their only run in the top of the sixth.
Offensively, Witges helped her own case with an RBI double. Lynlee Lindner added a double for the other team hit. Maddie Trame, Elizabeth Beckman and Palm each had one hit apiece for Mater Dei.
"Runs were at a premium today," said Panthers head coach Alan Engelhardt. "Palm is a tough pitcher to get into a rhythm against because she has good stuff, but she walks so many hitters. On our side, Taylor was very good again. I thought (second baseman) Haliegh Kling had a huge defensive play in the fifth to save a run and Kiya Hagene made a nice play on a ball in center to help stop a rally."
Engelhardt said the Panthers have hit their stride as a team at just the right time. The trip to the state finals in Peoria is the third straight for the Panthers.
"I am so proud of these girls for their continued improvement throughout the season to reach this point," Engelhardt said.
Now 24-8 overall, PCHS has won 19 of its last 21 games after starting the season 5-6 and having lost four straight.
The Panthers will take on Stanford Olympia at 5:30 Friday in the semifinal round at state. The Panthers will either play for third place or the championship on Saturday.