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Two complete opposite results along Panther Drive last night as the class 4A #12 Knoxville Softball Squad pounded the ball and sent fans home early in an 11-1 victory over PCM heard live on 95.3 KNIA while the baseball Panthers faced class 3A #3 ranked Grinnell 15-1 In the softball game, the Panthers jumped on PCM early and often with two runs in the first. The big blow came in the 3rd when Ashlyn Finarty crushed a grand slam to right field to break it open.

(Slam “…nothing, Knoxville.”) :18

The Panthers also took advantage of four PCM errors and closed the game out in the top of the 5th invoking the run rule. Coach Carla Smith told KNIA/KRLS Sports she had been waiting on a game like this from her team.

Smith : “We’ve done a good job all year of getting baserunners on, but we just couldn’t get them home until tonight. Their pitcher was throwing a bit slower and she was placing the ball on the outside which downed our hitters. They can hit the outside pitch and we just did a really good job.”

Jadyn Streigle got the win on senior night going 4 1/3 innings allowing one run on three hits striking three. PCM Coach Shaun Hudnut told KNIA/KRLS Sports Tuesday was one of those days that his team just was not their best.

Hudnut: “We would have liked to have had a better showing tonight. We did field the ball like we wanted to and the credit goes to Knoxville, they’re a great team. I just told our girls this game doesn’t really have any bearing on our conference race and where we play in the regionals.”

Lark Drake, Paige Steenhoek, and Joslin Briles all got one hit. Ella Schendel took the loss pitching three innings while Drake pitched the final inning of relief. Knoxville is now 15-7 on the season while PCM is 15-10. The Panthers will host Clarke on Thursday while PCM comes home to face Roland-Story tonight.

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