It was a good week for both of the boys and girls along Panther Drive this past week as the baseball squad completed a 4-0 week while the softball started off beating two Little Hawkeye Conference squads in their first week of competition. The baseball squad’s biggest win so far this season was Friday’s victory over Pella in the Red Rock Rivalry Series 2-0 helped by Beau Leisure’s two hit shutout. Coach Turner Devore tells KNIA/KRLS Sports he was particularly impressed with his pitching staff last week getting wins over non conference competition.

Devore: “Go in there and get Oskaloosa and Brennen Wolsey and get three innings in and Koby Higginbotham also got three good innings and Kade got the save. I think we’re going to make up that game so maybe we can go over there and get them a second time.”

The Panthers stand at 5-2 on the season and are off until Thursday when they travel to Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont for an important early season South Central Conference game. On the other side of Panther Drive, the softball squad early on has put up 19 runs in two games in wins over Oskaloosa and Newton. With nearly everyone back from last season’s squad, Coach Carla Smith now has the strong leadership to get her team to where they want to go.

Smith: “It’s really important to have that strong leadership in the circle. It just keeps everyone in line, and we also have important leadership in Emma Dunkin, and Melanie Sullivan in the outfield. Being vocal and a strong leader is what’s going to get us there.”

Knoxville will be back on the field against Washington in a varsity double header on Wednesday. That is our next broadcast of summer sports on 95-point-three KNIA as we will have the second game of that twin bill at seven-30.