SOFTBALL: Pinckneyville beats Murphysboro for 4th straight win

Maddie Jones drove in the go-ahead run in the top of the seventh for Pinckneyville and the Lady Panthers snuck past the Lady Devils 5-3 for their fourth win in a row after trailing for the first four innings of Wednesday's game at Murphysboro.

PCHS pitcher Mariah Clark retired the last six batters of the game in order to preserve the victory and finished the day with three earned runs allowed on seven hits with six strikeouts.

Murphysboro scored twice in the bottom of the first inning after a double by Emma Nehring and RBI base hits by Mykayla Brasel and Taylor Hazel.

The Lady Red Devils maintained that 2-0 lead until Brooklyn Morrow cut it in half with a two-out RBI single in the top of the third to bring in Jones (single). Brasel answered for the Devils with a solo homer in the bottom of the inning, making it 3-1 Murphysboro.

Mayci Doerflein led off Pinckneyville's fifth with a single and later scored when Jones reached on an error, then Emma Banach tied it up at 3-3 with another two-out RBI hit for the Lady Panthers.

As Clark settled in in the circle, PCHS capitalized on a walk and an error in the top of the seventh. Jones singled home Kylee Kling, then scored on a passed ball later in the inning to tack on some insurance.

Jones (2-4, 3 R, RBI), Morrow (2-3, RBI, 2B, BB), Banach (1-4, RBI, 2B), Clark (1-2, SAC), Doerflein (1-3, R), and Kearsten Opp (1-3) hit safely for Pinckneyville.

The Lady Panthers (15-5, 4-2) are off the rest of the week, then return home on Monday for round two with the unbeaten Carterville Lady Lions.