Senior night was a rousing success on both sides of Panther Drive Thursday night as the Knoxville Baseball Squad took care of business to sweep Clarke in a double header and to complete a perfect South Central Conference slate at 21-0 by pounding the Indians 8-0 in game one and 13-3 in game two, which was heard live on 95.3 KNIA, while the girls of summer drubbed Clarke 11-4. In game one, the Panthers made a snowman in the 2nd inning by plating all eight of their runs highlighted by a Beau Leisure three run blast to left/center field to get the scoring underway. The Panthers also benefited from six Clarke errors to post eight runs. Niko Lacona got the win going 6 2/3 innings striking out nine and walking just three. Senior Mason Hatch came in to get the final out of the game, plus he likely was the only kid in Iowa Thursday night to pitch and sing the National Anthem pregame. The nightcap started with the 3rd batter for the Panthers when Trenton Kingery stepped to the plate and hit a moon shot to center field, after going 0/4 in game one.
The Panthers were able to score in each inning except the 4th, and Leisure, who got the win on the mound in game two ended it with a single to left to drive home the walk off run in the 5th inning. Coach Turner Devore told KNIA/KRLS Sports, several boxes have been checked off by this team and to run through the conference unblemished was a big one.
Devore: “Winning 21 games in your conference against teams that know you, is pretty impressive. I was proud of the kids. We didn’t hit the ball great, but we did a lot of other things that I was looking for and I was pretty proud of them tonight.”
Leisure went five innings with just one hit and striking out eight. Knoxville is now 30-3 on the season and ends South Central Conference play at 21-0. On the softball side of Panther drive a six run 2nd inning broke the game open and Knoxville routed the Indians 11-4 on Senior Night. Ciara Heffron got the win, going the distance striking out nine, she also helped herself out by hitting a homerun and driving in three. Knoxville is now 14-12 and 9-4 in the conference. The baseball Panthers head to Fairfield tonight. Softball will wrap up conference play at Chariton with a chance to lock down 3rd place.