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HARLAN – The Panthers ended up on the wrong end of the score column in both games of a doubleheader against Harlan Thursday, dropping the opener 12-2 and the second game 8-7.
The second contest came down to the wire and head coach Mike McCabe thought the Panthers had smacked the tying run, but it was swiped up by the Cyclone shortstop, who recorded the final out.
In the seventh inning of the second contest, the Panthers plated four runs to get within one run of the lead.
Brielle Baker stepped to the plate and lined one at the shortstop, who threw over to first to close out the Panthers’ comeback bid.
Sara Keeler, Peyton Rice and Gracie Hagle led off the seventh with three consecutive singles and all came around to score later than inning.
Emma Hanson doubled in two batters and scored as the fourth run of the inning, getting knocked in by a Morgan Driskell RBI. Hanson finished the contest with three RBIs.
Driskell doubled in a run earlier in the contest and finished 1-for-4 at the dish with two RBIs.
Rice, who went 3-for-4 at the plate, used her speed to steal two bases in the first inning before coming around to score.
Macy Adamson took to the circle in the second game where she pitched well, according to McCabe, outside of two tough innings.
“I was proud of the way we showed a little bit of toughness after that first game and bounced back,” said McCabe. “The defense played pretty respectable behind her (Adamson).
“It felt like we just couldn’t get that timely hit,” said McCabe. “A lot of positive stuff. A lot of kids getting their first action.”
Panthers falter in first contest
In game one, the Panthers struggled to get the bat on the ball against Harlan’s ace Morgan Schaben.
“Just never really got anything going in the first game against Schaben,” said McCabe.
Schaben kept the Panthers to just one hit and struck out six batters in her five innings of work before the run rule was applied.
Defensively, McCabe thought Creston didn’t help their case with a couple of errors that extended innings and some walks from the circle.
“It was really a case of too many free bases pitching wise and you sprinkle in an error or two or three. It’s a recipe for a 10-run beating,” said McCabe.
Sara Keeler had the lone hit for the Panthers, which was an RBI double. She also stole a base and scored a run in three at-bats.
UP NEXT – Creston (2-1) will head to Atlantic Saturday for a tournament where they will plan Panorama, ACGC and Audubon.
Harlan 12, Creston 2 (5)
R H E
Crest 002 00 — 2 1 3
Har 033 24 — 12 7 1
Crest: Gracie Hagle 3.1IP 0K 7BB 1HBP, Heylee Gillam 0.2IP 0K 2BB and Peyton Rice. Har: Morgan Schaben 5IP 6K 2BB and Madison Schumacher. W — Schaben. L – Hagle (2-1). HR – None. 3B — None. 2B — Har: Kate Heithoff 1. Crest: Sara Keeler 1. RBI — Crest: Keeler 1. Har: Heithoff 2, Miranda Goetz 2, Emily Brouse 2, Schaben 1, Schumacher 1, Julia Schechinger 1, Tiana Kasperbauer 1. Stolen bases – Crest: Keeler 1.
Har: Kennadi Carey 1, Kasperbauer 1, Schechinger 1, Madison Kjergaard 1. Multiple hits – Har: Heithoff 2, Brouse 2.
Harlan 8, Creston 7
R H E
Crest 100 011 4 — 7 10 2
Har 060 002 0 — 8 8 3
Crest: Macy Adamson 6IP 0K 3BB 2HBP and Peyton Rice. Har: Tianna Kasperbauer 6.1IP 8K 2BB, Morgan Schaben 0.2IP 0K 0BB and Julie Schechinger. W — Kasperbauer. L – Adamson. Sv – Schaben. HR – None. 3B — None. 2B — Crest: Morgan Driskell 1, Halle Evans 1, Emma Hanson 1. Har: Schumacher 1. RBI — Crest: Hanson 3, Driskell 2, Neveah Randall 1, P. Rice 1. Har: Schumacher 4, Jordan Heese 1, Schaben 1, Heithoff 1. Stolen bases – Crest: P. Rice 3, Keeler 1, Saige Rice 1, Hanson 1. Multiple hits – Crest: P. Rice 3, Hanson 2.