The Pauls Valley Lady Panthers split a pair of games on the diamond early this week, losing a key district game before bouncing back with a lopsided win.
Monday, the Lady Panthers traveled to Oklahoma City to take on the St. Mary’s Rockets in 4A-2 District play. In a defensive battle, St. Mary scored a pair of unearned runs late for a 2-1 win over the Lady Panthers.
The Rockets got a oneout single from Still to start the sixth inning. Still stole second and scored on an error on Daniels’ hit. Daniels took second on the play and scored on DeHart’s two-out single for a 2-1 lead.
The Lady Panthers scored in the fourth. Kaisyn White walked with two outs to start the threat. She stole second and third to get into scoring position. She scored on an error, giving PV a 1-0 lead.
Pauls Valley had 3 hits in the game. Elliot Owen, Raegan Close and Jessie Caldwell all singled. Close pitched a complete game, giving up 2 unearned runs on 3 hits. She struck out 7 and walked only one. Jones earned the win for the Rockets. She gave up an unearned run on three hits. She struck out 17 Lady Panthers while walking only two.
Pauls Valley 12, Varnum 5
Pauls Valley got back on the winning track Tuesday, defeating the Varnum Whippets 12-5 at the Wacker Park Complex. The Lady Panthers pounded out 17 hits, with White leading the offense with a 2-for-2 evening that included her first home run of the season, two runs scored, and two RBI. Owen was 2-for-3 with a double and two runs scored. Close, Caldwell, Kamryn Townley and Rowland each had two hits.
Pauls Valley scored at least one run in each inning for the win. The Lady Panthers scored single runs in each of the first two innings for a 2-0 lead. Carter scored on an error in the first and Paisley Tibbs scored in the second off a Rowland hit. Varnum tied the game in the top of the third as Miller scored on a double by Wildcat.
PV added two more runs in each of the third and fourth innings for a 6-1 lead. The highlight of the third was a perfect squeeze bunt by Daylee O’Bryant that scored Close. Owen’s double scored Bella Smith to highlight the two-run fourth.
Varnum added a single run in the fifth and three more in the sixth, but Pauls Valley kept pace by pushing across three runs in both the fifth and sixth innings to seal the victory. White’s home run over the left-field fence sparked the rally in the fifth, while four straight singles in the sixth helped plate three more insurance runs.
Rowland pitched five strong innings to earn the win, giving up two runs (one earned) on six hits. Caldwell pitched the final two innings, giving up three unearned runs on four hits.
Pauls Valley will be back in action Thursday as they host Dibble and Lexington at Wacker Park Field in the Wynnewood Festival. The Lady Panthers play their final district game Friday as they host Chickasha.
