A 15 minute power outage may have been what the Knoxville Softball squad needed to overpower Grinnell in extra innings last night. The lights at the Grinnell Softball Field would not come on and the game was held up for around 15 minutes. Once the lights came on the Panthers broke a 1-1 tie in the top of the ninth inning and held the Tigers scoreless in the bottom of the extra frame.
Jessica Stickel threw a no-hitter with 12 strikeouts on the night brining her total to 53 on the season. At the plate, Katie Ayers slapped two triples and had an RBI. Gretchen Hileman had two RBIs, including a squeeze bunt in the decisive ninth.
The Panthers have now won back-to-back games in the Little Hawkeye Conference. While Knoxville is not one of the teams talked about to win the LHC, Coach Steph Christner says her team can be right up there.
Knoxville is now 4-5 on the season and inches above the .500 mark in conference play at 2-1, with a day off today. The Panthers host Oskaloosa on Wednesday.