SOFTBALL: Banach, Morrow carry Lady Panthers over A-J
Emma Banach drove in four runs, Brooklyn Morrow hit her team-leading eighth home run of the season, and the Lady Panthers put away Anna-Jonesboro 10-2 in Tuesday's SIRR Mississippi Division matchup in Pinckneyville.
Morrow also got the win in the circle, scattering eight Lady Wildcats hits and walking two while striking out seven.
"We worked out of some problems," said PCHS head coach Alan Engelhardt. "We did a good job of stranding their runners and made some defensive plays when we needed to."
"Offensively, I thought when we locked in - and you could tell the at-bats where we were really focused and had a plan - we really hit the ball hard."
Morrow blasted a two-run homer in the bottom of the first inning to give Pinckneyville the lead, then Banach duplicated the feat in the bottom of the third to make it 4-0.
"(Morrow) does a good job of being balanced," said Engelhardt. "She's the kid on our team that's best at being balanced, staying solid, and hitting pitches. We've got a lot of other kids who kind of lean and lunge, and she's just so solid about it that she's successful."
Maddie Jones (single) and Banach (fielder's choice) each knocked in runs in the fourth to extend the lead to six.
After A-J had gotten a run back in the fifth, the Lady Panthers put the game out of reach with four in the bottom of the sixth, including Banach's fourth RBI (single).
PCHS had hits in every inning except the fifth.
"We didn't execute at all (in the fifth), two strikeouts looking that inning," Engelhardt said. "That's what we were talking to the kids about, the difference between good teams and where we're at right now is that ability to focus in every pitch, every at bat. We're just not quite there."
Jones (1-4, 2 R, RBI), Morrow (2-2, R, 2 RBI, HR, BB, HBP), Banach (3-4, 2 R, 4 RBI, HR), Kylee Kling (1-3, BB), Caitie Opp (1-3, R, BB), Kearsten Opp (2-3, BB), Andrea Morgan (1-3) and Lydia Pestka (1-4, R) had Pinckneyville's twelve hits against the Lady Wildcats.
The Lady Panthers (14-5, 5-2) travel to Murphysboro on Wednesday.