The Knoxville Boys and Girls of Summer got the sweep along Panther Drive on Friday as the softball squad pounded Cardinal 14-2 and Beau Leisure sent a bomb out of left field to walk off for the 3rd straight time at home 6-5 in eight innings over the Comets with the baseball game heard live on 95.3 KNIA. The baseball contest started shaky for the Panthers trailing 2-0 after the top of the 1st inning. Starting pitcher Luke Spaur did not have his best stuff, but settled in and kept the Panthers in it, eventually pitching 6 2/3 innings while getting a no-decision. Knoxville seemed to have the game in hand with two outs and Cardinal down to its last strike in the top of the 7th, a bases clearing double tied the game at five and to the eighth they went. Trenton Kingery kept the Comets off the board and that set the stage for the first pitch in the bottom of the 8th.

While he did not get the decision, Coach Turner Devore told KNIA/KRLS Sports, Luke Spaur’s effort was a huge key in the win.

Devore: “We scratched and clawed and Luke didn’t have his best stuff tonight, and he bulldogged it because we didn’t really have much to go to.”

Spaur had five strikeouts and nine hits while Kingery got the win going an 1 1/3 striking out three. Meanwhile on the other side of Panther Drive, the Knoxville Softball Squad had 21 hits and turned a close game early into a rout and sent fans home after the 6th inning. Brittany Bacorn brought the big bat with two Bacorn Bombs and six RBI, the 2nd one ended the game in the 6th. Also stellar at the plate was Charlye Willis going 3/5 with an RBI, Marlea Cox was 4/4 with an RBI, and Addy Dunkin was 3/4 with an RBI. Ashlyn Finarty got the win going six innings allowing two runs on three hits, a walk and three strikeouts. Knoxville baseball stays perfect at 8-0 and 3-0 in the South Central Conference, while softball is 3-1 and 1-1 in the conference. Baseball is off until Wednesday hosting Ballard, softball is also off until Wednesday traveling to Washington for a double header.