Pekin adds league title to 2009 resume

WAYLAND ? ?Our first goal of the year was to get the conference championship. The girls came out and that?s what they had on their minds,? said Pekin head softball coach Bryan Marlay after his team?s 13-0 romp vs. WACO Monday night.

That win clinched the outright SEISC north division title for Pekin.

The Panther lineup seemed to have a bit more than a league championship on its mind however ? namely hitting the softball. The Panthers strung together 11 straight hits to begin the game and scored 10 runs before WACO recorded a single out.

As forcefully as the Panthers put the game away early on Monday, the same cannot be said for how they made their way through the conference schedule. Pekin started off 0-2 in league games, but reeled off wins in 15 of the next 16 to take their seat at the top.

?When we were 0-2 I told the girls that whoever wins this thing is going to have three or four losses, It?s a pretty evenly matched conference and we still control our own destiny,? Marlay said. ?Next thing you know we won 15 of 16 and that is exactly what we talked about when we were 0-2.?

Mycaela Crouse was her usual dominant self from the pitcher?s circle striking out four an allowing just one hit in three innings of work. Jessica Deutsch, Kira Swanson, Jessi Martin and Jaime Sterling all recorded doubles for the Panthers who made it through the order just twice. Swanson led the offense with three RBIs.

With the title in the bag, the Panthers will take non-conference opponent Davis County in a doubleheader tonight in a final tune up for the regional tournament that starts on Thursday.