Pekin takes 2, Columbus drops 2

PACKWOOD - The tripleheader was a good idea on paper, but Mother Nature decided to unleash some heat on the softball field at Pekin High School Tuesday.

Game 1 started at 3 p.m. and the heat index was 104. Pekin triumphed 10-1 over Columbus in a Southeast Iowa Super Conference North Division game. Columbus then had to play right away against nonconference foe Sigourney, falling 12-1, giving up eight runs in the sixth inning. Pekin took the nonconference Game 3 by the score of 10-0 over Sigourney.

'I believe we came out ready to go (against Columbus),” Pekin head coach Shelby Atwood said. 'We put the ball in play and waited for our pitch.”

Pekin plated three runs in the first inning, two on Faith Goudy's single.

Columbus scored in the top of the second when Michelle Diaz singled and scored after two walks and a hit batter.

Pekin answered in the bottom of the second when Emilee Linder doubled and scored on Remi Duwa's hit.

It was still 4-1 until the bottom of the fifth when Pekin scored five runs and added another in the sixth.

'We walked seven times as a team, so that tells me we are waiting on our pitch to drive, which is something I have stressed to the girls this season,” Atwood said. 'It was a good win to wrap up our conference play. We played excellent defensively and our pitchers threw very well.”

Kylie Davis got the win with five innings pitched, two hits, three walks and four strikeouts. Brooke Miller threw two innings with a strikeout.

Libby White took the loss, allowing four hits. She was relieved by Emma Milder after four consecutive batters reached base to start the fifth inning.

The Columbus-Sigourney game was 'really close” until the sixth inning. 'We could hit their pitcher and had some base runners, but we ran into some base running errors and double plays,” Columbus head coach Katie Coil said. 'Emma Milder pitched a phenomenal game! It was 4-1 going into the bottom of the sixth. We had one out and our outfield defense let up.”

The oppresive heat may have been a contributing factor.

'They started crushing the ball and we were gassed,” Coil said. 'We ended up getting run ruled, but they put up a great showing against an extremely tough Sigourney team.”

Sigourney's loss against Pekin was just its second in 15 games. Pekin's record is 6-4. Columbus is 2-7.

In the Pekin-Sigourney game, it was close game up to the fourth inning then the Panther bats came alive to stretch a 1-0 lead to 7-0. Two more runs were plated in the fifth and another in the sixth.

'We out hit them 11-4,” Atwood said. 'We played great defense and had some key big hits with the bases loaded.”

Goudy hit a solo home run. Linder connected on two doubles while Emi Zook went 3-for-4 and Davis was 2-for-4. Hannah Lucas had a single and a double.

'Once again we had six walks so our patience at the plate is paying off,” Atwood said. 'Girls were fighting pitches off and getting their pitch to drive. Our pitchers kept the ball low and threw very well.”

Cari Duwa threw five innings with four hits, no walks and four strikeouts. Goudy tossed an inning with one strikeout.