Seniors rally Pekin past Lone Tree in extra innings

PACKWOOD ? With the game on the line in the bottom of the eighth inning Thursday vs. Lone Tree, the five seniors on ninth-ranked Pekin?s roster were waiting with a bat in their hands.

By the time that fifth senior was done, the Panthers had themselves an 8-7 come-from-behind victory.

With runners on second and third, Mycaela Crouse hit a walk-off single to score Ashley Morales and give Pekin its third win in four tries this season. Head coach Bryan Marlay rolled the dice pinch-hitting Morales to lead off the inning, and it paid off.

?She probably hasn?t seen the field as much as she?s probably wanted to so far, but she?s a senior and I thought ?let?s see if she can come through,?? Marlay said. ?She?s going to be my DH now.?

Jaime Sterling sacrificed Morales to second, Jessica Deutsch took one for the team to get to first and Shelby Blakely moved the runners up one more spot to set up Crouse?s two-out game-winner.

Lone Tree led by as many as two runs in the contest and held a one-run advantage before running into more clutch Pekin hitting. Blakely was hit by a pitch to begin the bottom of the seventh before eventually being driven in by a Jessi Martin sacrifice fly.

Somehow overshadowed by the late-game heroics was a first-inning grand slam off the bat of Dominique Tolle. The blast gave the Panthers an early 4-1 lead as Tolle finished 2-3 and drove in five of the eight runs.

Mackenzie Laux picked up the win for Pekin after pitching the final five innings and giving up just one run on one hit while the Panther defense stumbled its way through a game that featured six errors.

?Defensively, we?re just playing too fast right now. We?re not letting the game come to us,? said Marlay. ?We?re fortunate to be 3-1, but I told the girls our best softball is ahead of us.?

Pekin will host Louisa-Muscatine tonight.