PANAMA - With a tenuous lead, 6-3, in the bottom of the sixth, Andrea Marsh drilled a two-run home run to clinch a crucial Division 4 victory for Panama over Ripley, 11-4, on Thursday afternoon.
Panama (8-3, 8-2) and Ripley are now tied atop the division.
The home run was Marsh's seventh of the year.
Article Photos
Panama second baseman Andrea Marsh prepares to throw to first base during Thursday’s Division 4 softball game against Ripley. See additional photos at cu.post-journal.com.
P-J photo by Mark L. Anderson
Along with Marsh, Kirsten Green went 3 for 3 with two doubles, a triple and an RBI.
Taylor Lloyd earned the victory after surrendering four runs on seven hits while striking out one and walking one.
For Ripley, Sam Judd had two hits with a double, Emily Trevelline hit a double and Emilee Steger hurled seven innings with four strikeouts and two walks in defeat.
BROCTON WINS A PAIR
BROCTON - The Brocton Lady Bulldogs (3-7) earned a doubleheader sweep of West Valley (0-9).
In the first game, Jess Putcher struck out seven, did not allow a walk and scattered four hits to lead Brocton to a 4-2 verdict.
The Lady Bulldogs scored all four runs in the opening frame as Jess Merle had an RBI single and an RBI double in the inning. Emily Crandall also had an RBI single in the inning. Crandall and Merle each finished with two hits.
In the second, game, Putcher was dominant in the opening two frames again as she did not allow a walk and yielded two hits and struck out three in a 17-6 decision.
"She pitched seven total innings today and she had good control and kept the ball down low," Brocton coach Jeff Franze said of Putcher.
Julia Palmer, Brianna Stanton, Meghan Roberts and Crandall each had three hits and combined for nine RBIs to pace the scoring attack.
Merle pitched the final three innings for Brocton and gave up two hits and six walks with four strikeouts.