Pekin wins on go-ahead groundout in sixth

PACKWOOD ? Paige Jensen knocked in the go-ahead run on a groundout in the bottom of the sixth inning, and the Panthers kicked off the season with a 9-8 win over Highland Monday.

Jensen?s infield RBI in the sixth sent Maranda Baker sliding home from third base for the winning run. Jensen found herself facing an 0-2 count in the at-bat before battling back to a full count and eventually making contact.

?What a huge at-bat at a huge time,? Pekin head coach Bryan Marlay said. ?Even though Jensen didn?t get a hit, she gave us an opportunity to score by putting the ball in play.?

The score was the final of four runs tallied in the sixth for Pekin, which had minutes earlier surrendered three in the top of the inning. Prior to the go-ahead score, Maleaha Earnest had a bunt single to kick things off, Brandy Millikin hit a two-run single and Baker tripled to score Millikin.

?What I was most happy about was it seemed like every time we got down in the game, we would come right back,? Marlay said.

Starting pitcher Leslie Stone was handed the win. Stone threw seven solid innings, allowing four earned runs, striking out six and issuing four walks.

Cheyann Lankford was 2-4 with a double, two runs scored and an RBI; Brittany Gillam proved a force on the bases tallying three runs; and Tori Davis and Ruthanne Cooley both scored once.

In what is traditionally an important matchup with conference implications, the win was all the more sweet thanks to how Pekin won it.

?It was a good first game to knock some rust off, and a come-from-behind win is always a good way to win,? added Marlay.

The Panthers (1-0, 1-0 SEISC north) are set to host Winfield-Mount Union tonight.

Pekin vs. Highland

HIGHLAND? 2 1 0 1 1 3 0 ? 8 8 3

PEKIN ? 1 4 0 0 0 4 X ? 9 6 6

PEKIN ? Lankford 2-4 2B, 2R, RBI; Baker 1-4, 3B; Millikin 1-3, R, 2RBI; Jensen 1-3; Earnest 1-1; Gillam 3 R; Davis R; Cooley R

Pitching ? Stone (W) 7 INN, 8 H, 4 BB, 8R, 4ER, 6 K