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SOFTBALL: New-look Lady Panthers start 2-0

Posted March 19, 2012 11:00 pm

Doug Daniels

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[A year ago, Pinckneyville was one of the most experienced high school softball teams in the south with a lineup stacked full of seniors, many of whom have moved on to the collegiate level of the sport. In 2012, the Lady Panthers have just two seniors and two juniors on the roster, and those four players combined for ten of PCHS's thirteen hits in Saturday's doubleheader victories over Breese Mater Dei and Red Bud.

"We did a lot of things right," said second-year Pinckneyville head coach Mike Cheek. "I think we did a lot more things right today than we did wrong. Did we make some errors, yeah we did, but in the first game we got behind and battled back, the second game was tight and we showed we could play in some pressure situations."

After sophomore shortstop Kala Emling suffered a foot injury, Cheek was forced to insert a second freshman into his opening day starting lineup with Maddie Jones, who joined first baseman Keelyn Stein in the infield where both played beyond their years defensively. Stein also added a two-run single in game one during the Lady Panthers' come-from-behind 8-5 win.

"I will take their defensive effort every time," M. Cheek said of the two freshmen. "I thought Maddie did an outstanding job at shortstop. Keelyn did a great job at first base and really swung the bat well today too."

Taylor Cheek doubled in a pair of runs in the bottom of the first against Mater Dei, but the Lady Knights rallied back for a 5-3 lead after plating one in the second, one in the third, and three in the fifth.

In the bottom of the fifth, Dani Schoenbacher led off with a double to start a four-run inning for the Lady Panthers, with Stein giving PCHS the lead with her single a few batters later.

T. Cheek was 3-for-4 against Mater Dei, driving in four runs and scoring another. Melia Bathon (2-3, R, BB), Shersty Stanton (1-4, R), Schoenbacher (1-3, R, 2B, BB), and Stein (1-3, 2 RBI) also hit safely for Pinckneyville.

Taylor Howard was 0-for-2 (2 BB), but registered an RBI in the sixth on a fielder's choice. Howard also got the decision in the pitching circle, relieving Kayla Harris after three innings and allowing five hits, one walk and two earned runs.

Howard wasn't done there, taking the ball again in game two and this time going the distance against Red Bud in a 3-2 barnburner at Greg Hale Field. She surrendered five hits, one walk, and one earned run in her second victory of the young season.

"Taylor (Howard) did a nice job of battling all day," M. Cheek said. "None of our pitchers have great (velocity), so they have to be able to hit their spots with their pitches. When she did get in trouble, a couple times I'll take the blame on a bad pitch called, but she'd always relax, come back and hit her spot and get the batter to hit the ball where we wanted them to hit it."

With PCHS up 3-1 in the sixth, Howard faced a bases-loaded no outs situation before getting a much needed strikeout. She got the next batter to ground to third where Bathon made the play and got the force out at home. The catcher Stanton fired to first to complete the inning-ending double play without any damage done on the scoreboard.

The Lady Musketeers threatened again in the seventh, but a baserunner interference call at first base erased a run for Red Bud and seemed to zap their momentum. Howard retired the final three batters in order after allowing a single and walk to begin the inning.

Schoenbacher (2-3, R), T. Cheek (1-3, R), Howard (1-3, R, RBI) and Alyssa Hirsch (1-2) all had hits off Red Bud pitching.

The Lady Panthers (2-0) are at Wesclin on Monday and Hamilton County on Wednesday before returning home Friday to host Alton Marquette.

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