Neosho, MO- Although the Panthers out-hit Crowder nine to eight on Wednesday, they came up short in a 15-7 loss. Neosho struck first in the top of the second inning when Faith Jones singled to bring home Anna Eberle and give the Panthers an early 1-0 lead. Crowder answered with a big inning in the bottom half of the 2nd, capitalizing on four hits and Neosho miscues to plate 11 runs and take control of the game. Crowder added two more runs in the third. The Panthers battled back in the fifth, scoring five runs on four hits. An error pushed across one run, Reece Norris added an RBI single, a dropped third strike allowed another run to score, and Jayden Willard delivered a two-run single to cut into the deficit. Crowder responded in the bottom of the fifth with a two-run homer to left to finish the game.
Anna Eberle led Neosho at the plate with two hits. Norris, Jones, Willard, and Eberle each drove in a run for the Panthers. Makenzi Escoe took the loss for Neosho, allowing eight runs, with only one being earned, over one and two-thirds innings.
In game two the Panthers battled back and forth with Crowder before settling for a 6-6 tie on Wednesday. The Panthers came out swinging in the top of the first inning. Abbi Godfrey jump-started the offense with a double to drive in a run, and Melannie Townes followed with a two-run single to give Neosho an early 3-0 advantage. Neosho kept the pressure on in the second. Kamden Bray delivered an RBI single to extend the lead to 5-0, capping another strong inning for the Panthers. After Crowder rallied to even the score in the fifth, Neosho responded once again in the top of the sixth. Sydney Sapulpa came through with a clutch single to put the Panthers back in front, 6-5. Crowder tied the game in the bottom half of the sixth, and both teams held firm from there to finish in a 6-6 tie.
Sapulpa, hitting out of the seven spot, showcased the depth of the Panthers’ lineup by leading the team with two hits in three at-bats. Townes and Bray each drove in two runs, while Welch showed patience at the plate with three walks. As a team, Neosho displayed a disciplined approach, drawing 10 walks in the game. Pilar Cox put together a solid effort in the circle, going six innings while allowing six runs (three earned) on eight hits. She struck out six and walked two.
Neosho Panthers will look to carry the momentum into Saturday when they travel to IAW in Branson, MO.
