Mt. Pleasant softball eliminated

KEOKUK — The Mt. Pleasant softball team gave Keokuk all they could handle in a regional tournament road game on Thursday night.

The Panthers showed out at the plate and held Keokuk’s offense silent for most of the game, but the Chiefs left the Panthers heartbroken with an 8-7 comeback victory.

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Mt. Pleasant put a crooked number up in every other inning, scoring three runs in the second, two in the fourth and two more in the sixth. That helped turn an early 2-0 Keokuk lead into an 7-3 advantage after the top of the sixth.

The Panthers were lifted by two home runs by Saige Burchett, the first two of her high school softball career. She hit one in the second inning and one in the fourth to help the Panthers build a lead.

Leading by five in the sixth, Mt. Pleasant starting pitcher Jolynn Martin got into a little trouble but gave up just one run to keep the lead at 7-4.

Keokuk threatened again in the bottom of the seventh. The Chiefs loaded the bases and put up four runs, including a walk-off walk. Mt. Pleasant was one strike away from winning the game at one point, but the two-out rally spelled doom.

Burchett finished the game 3-for-5 with two homers, a double and four RBIs. Ella McNamee was 1-for-3 with two RBIs. Jayden Housh went 2-for-3 with an RBI. Kynlee White finished 2-for-4.

Martin threw 6.2 innings and gave up eight runs (six earned) on nine hits, six walks and one hit batter. She struck out six Chiefs in the loss.

Mt. Pleasant ended the year 5-25. The Panthers picked up wins over Holy Trinity, Wapello, Keokuk, New London and Davenport Central.

The loss spelled the end of the high school softball careers of seniors McNamee, Housh and Jersey Beachy.