It was double Panthers on Panther Drive Tuesday night as both of the Knoxville Summer Squads took down Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont with baseball winning 4-1 and softball claiming a 7-3 win. In the baseball contest, the Panthers got on the board in the 2nd as Dakota Ramsey scored Koby Higginbotham with an RBI double and Carson Cecil drove home Ramsey with a single. It stayed 2-0 until the 5th inning when back-to-back balks were called and Knoxville just happened to have a runner at 3rd to come home to make it 4-0. The Rockets did get a run in the 7th, but Knoxville ended the threat. Lincoln Norris got the win going six innings, allowing one run, scattering eight hits and striking out six. While the win was good, Coach Turner Devore told KNIA/KRLS Sports his team had several chances to break the game open earlier.
Devore: “We had some chances early on to break the game open. You have to be ready everyday, and you have to get hits, and get guys around. If we don’t get those two balks in the 5th we’re in real trouble.”
Across the street on Panther Drive, the Softball Panthers got down to the Rockets early, but a four run 2nd put Knoxville up for good. The big blow came when Marlea Cox blasted a three run homer in the 3rd to make it 7-3, giving her five RBI on the night. Ashlyn Finarty got the win going four innings allowing three hits and striking out two. Ciara Heffron pitched the final three innings. Both Panthers are off today, but are back in action on Thursday host Centerville. The softball contest can be heard live on 95.3 KNIA.