Mark down three more for Pekin softball

PACKWOOD ? The Pekin softball train kept rolling over the weekend picking up three more wins to add to the season total on a busy Saturday.

The Panthers weren?t a very generous host to the four teams in town for their home tournament, blitzing through three games without allowing a single run. Pekin started off with a win against Van Buren 6-0, then beat Belle Plaine by 6-0 before using a 12-run second inning to get past Moulton-Udell 14-0.

Mycaela Crouse and Leslie Stone tag teamed the competition from the pitcher?s circle with Crouse earning two of the wins while Stone pitched a seven-inning two hitter in the second game vs. Belle Plaine. Crouse allowed just two hits in both of her starts, one to each Van Buren and Moulton-Udell, and racked up 13 stirkeouts on the day.

?Our pitching was outstanding, and we played great defense allowing four hits and no runs in three games,? said head coach Bryan Marlay who has preached pitching and defense from day one. ?The 14-0 games will come, but you have to be able to win the one run games when push comes to shove in the conference race and when tournament play rolls around ? I think we can do that now.?

Lexi Holmes and Shelby Blakely led the Pekin offensive attack each going 4-8 while Holmes smacked a double vs. Van Buren and totaled three RBIs and two runs scored on the day. Blakely stole a base in each game and came away with four on the day.

Next up for the Panthers will be a SEISC north division battle between the first-place Pekin and second-place Highland.