Panther girls to host Fairfield in regional semis

The grudge match is on. Mt. Pleasant and Fairfield will play for the fifth time this year on Saturday night at Mapleleaf Athletic Complex.

Fairfield defeated Keokuk 7-1 at Fairfield on Thursday night to punch its ticket to the regional semifinals.

Keokuk, a three-win team that upset the Trojans in one of four games this season, gave Fairfield a fight in the early innings. Both teams scored one run in the first, but Fairfield scored three in the fourth and three in the sixth to win the game.

Second baseman Destiny Gridley went 1-4 with a double and three RBIs to lead the offense and Allison Rebeling gave up just one earned run on two hits and one walk, while striking out 14 batters.

The Trojans and Panthers have split their first four games of the year, with Mt. Pleasant taking game one and Fairfield taking game two in both of their regular season doubleheaders.

In Mt. Pleasant, the Panthers took game one 5-1, helped out by a big game from Samantha Broeker, who went 1-2 with a double and three RBIs. The Panthers held a 5-3 lead after a wild first inning, but the Trojans exploded for the next 14 runs of the game and won it 17-5 in five innings.

Among the stars of game two were catcher Jenna Norris, who went 1-3 with three RBIs. Shortstop Shaylin Drish went 2-5 with five runs scored.

In Fairfield, Mt. Pleasant took game one 5-1, scoring four runs in the final inning. Lyndi Vantiger hit the go-ahead single and Trinity Krabill knocked three homer on a Trojan error. Fairfield squeaked out a nail-biter in game two, taking it 3-2. Gridley had two RBIs in the win.

The Panthers and Trojans will settle the score at 7 p.m. The winner will take on either No. 3 North Scott or Burlington on Tuesday, July 16.