Lady Panthers capture first outright SIRR MIssissippi Division Title since 2010

The Lady Panthers captured the outright SIRR conference title Monday evening, as Mariah Clark delivered a walk-off single to top the defending conference champion Carterville, 6-5. <br />For Pinckneyville, it's the first time they have won the SIRR Mississippi Division outright since 2010.<br />Pinckneyville struck early in the contest, as Kylee Kling led off the bottom of the first with a home run over the center field wall. Josie Gleason followed up shortly after, reaching on a single and coming around to score on a Carterville error to extend the lead to 2-0. <br />The Lady Lions responded in the top of the third, plating three runs on a pair of RBI singles from Hanna Schulmeister and Montana Taylor. <br />Carterville tacked on another run in the fourth inning and fifth, as Sophie Laird came around to score on a bunt single from Abbey Crain in the fourth. <br />In the fifth, Pinckneyville starter Mariah Clark was able to work out of a key situation, as the Lady Lions loaded the bases up with a pair of walks ad single. <br />Sydney Monje followed up with an RBI single to extend the lead to 5-2, but Clark retired the next three batters without allowing another run to keep Pinckneyville within three. <br />Pinckneyville started a late rally in the bottom of the fifth with Megan Mayo leading off the inning with a single. Lydia Pestka advanced Mayo to second with a sacrifice bunt and Kling followed up with a single to to put runners on first and third with one out. <br />Daisy Dudek capitalized on the scoring threat with a two-RBI double to center field, scoring Kling and Mayo. <br />Dudek then advanced to third on a groundout and came around to score the tying run on a passed ball. <br />Clark worked a scoreless sixth and seventh to set the stage in the bottom of the seventh. <br />Kling and Dudek reached on back-to-back one-out singles. Clark followed up with a line-drive walk-off single to center to score Kling and win the game 6-5. <br />The Lady Panthers will look to carry the momentum of the conference championship as they finish up the regular season. <br />They will resume action at home Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. against Johnston City.