Weekend prep softball: Lady Panthers still perfect, Du Quoin sweeps M-G

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Bouncing back from an always-emotional loss to arch-rival Pinckneyville. Du Quoin High School's girls softball team swept a pair of games from perennial Class 1A powerhouse Mulberry Grove Saturday.

Scores were 8-4 and 9-1 as the Lady Indians improved to 11-3 overall.

Monday at 4:30, Du Quoin hosts Nashville.

Friday afternoon, the Tribe fell to still undefeated Pinckneyville by a 6-2 score.

"I am very proud of the girls and how they came out and competed today," Lady Indians coach Jason James said. "That's something we are going to have to have with the three conference games coming up this week."

In the opener, Du Quoin had multi-hit games from freshmen Hadley Marek and Cassidy Rice, Heather Cavins and Ashley Ward in the victory.

Ward went 3-for-3 with two RBI.

Rice smashed her sixth home run of the season with Ashley Hess also going deep.

A two-run single by Kelsey Toler in the sixth inning provided enough breathing room for Chelsea Hill (6-1).

Scattering nine hits, Hill struck out five.

Du Quoin's second game win was highlited by Rice's school record seventh home run. She also pitched a four-hitter, improving to 5-2.

Marek had three more hits and two RBI. Rice, frosh Kelsey Robinson and Cavins posted two-hit games.

Rice's roudntripper broke the previous DHS single season record of six, shared by Kasi Camden (2008) and Megan Green (2007).

Friday at Pinckneyville, the Lady Panthers (14-0, 3-0) scored three unearned runs and held on for the win.

Taylor Cicardi doubled, homered and had three RBI for PCHS with Kortney Crawford adding two more RBI.

Du Quoin had six hits against Lady Panther hurlers Kelsey Cicardi and Emily Chapman.

"We got good pitching from both Kelsey Cicardi and Emily Chapman. They each have contrasting styles of pitching and I think Du Quoin had trouble adjusting to both of them in one game," Lady Panthers coach Greg Hale said. "We also played good defense turning two double plays in the game. Again it takes more than a few players to win games. It was a total team effort."

Jessica Hirsch had the lone extra basehit, a double. Rice and Toler knocked in runs.

Rice (4-2) gave just seven safeties, allowing three earned runs.

"We just made too many mistakes against a very good team," said James. "We ran ourselves out of three different innings by getting doubled off on line drives."