A walk off, and a conference title clinched last night on Panther Drive as the class 3A #4 Knoxville Baseball Squad swept Centerville 2-1 in game one and 11-1 in game two, while across the street Hannah Dunkin ripped an RBI single in the bottom of the 7th to give the Knoxville Softball Squad a 7-6 win, the softball game was heard live on 95.3 KNIA. Beau Leisure went the distance, limiting the Big Reds to just one hit. Luke Roozebom got the game winner in the 6th. That win clinched the outright South Central Conference title for the Panthers, so they celebrated with an 11-1 drubbing of the Big Reds in the nightcap. Koby Higginbotham shined on the mound and at the plate going 4 1/3 innings allowing just three hits, plus he had an RBI double and Trenton Kingery had a solo home run. On the softball side of Panther Drive came down to a Dunkin in the bottom of the 7th.

Hannah Dunkin singled to center field to bring home Ashlyn Finarty to give Knoxville its 7-6 win over Centerville. It was yet another game that Knoxville seemingly had control of in the early going as the Panthers roared out to a 6-0 lead, highlighted by a Finarty solo shot ro right field. But Centerville scored four runs in the 4th, and plated two more in the 7th, to force the bottom half of the 7th inning. Coach Carla Smith told KNIA/KRLS Sports Dunkin has been working hard at the plate.

Smith: “She’s done a great job this year, she did have a slump but she’s been working really hard to break out of it, and she just placed the ball well and broke it open.”

Charlye Willis went 3/4 at the plate and earned the win in the circle going three innings allowing four runs on four hits and one strikeout. Ciara Heffron pitched the final four innings of relief. Knoxville baseball is 27-1 and continues to be perfect in the South Central Conference at 18-0 while softball is now 13-9 and 8-3 in the conference. Both host non-conference games as softball welcomes ADM, while baseball will host Winterset.