Softball tops Fontbonne in Wednesday DH

Softball tops Fontbonne in Wednesday DH

GREENVILLE, Ill. - The softball team defeated Fontbonne in both games of the doubleheader in the SLIAC "Game of the Week" on Wednesday.  Greenville received a complete game five-hit shutout from Caitie Opp in their 2-0 first game win and scored eight runs in the first inning of game two in rolling to 11-8 win.

Opp scattered five hits in the first game and worked out of situations in the fourth and sixth innings with a runner on third to improve her season record to 3-1.  She struck out three batters in the game and did not walk anyone.

The Panthers reached Fontbonne starter Maddy Strickland for a pair of runs in the bottom of the third when Diedra Holzhauer knocked a two-run single through the left side of the infield with the bases loaded.  The two runs were all Opp needed.

Maegan Stone and Holzhauer each had a pair of hits.

In game two, Greenville jumped on Fontbonne pitcher Lexi Becker for eight runs in the first inning, knocking her from the game in just one-third of an inning.

The first seven Greenville batters reached base safely in the first inning, including a two-run home run from Kendall Farr.  Beth Mersinger also had a two-run double in the inning.

Megan Barrett and Holzhauer also provided RBI singles in the inning.

Fontbonne scored single runs in the top of the second and third to make it an 8-2 game, but Mersinger hammered a three-run home run in the bottom of the fourth to give Greenville an 11-2 lead.  With just three outs needed by Greenville to end the game in the top of the fifth, Fontbonne managed to score four times to keep the game going.  The Griffins added single runs in the top of the sixth and seventh.

Starting pitcher Stone earned the win with 4.2 innings of work.  She departed after permitting six runs but earned the win to improve to 3-0.  Farr closed the game in the circle with 2.1 innings, allowing two runs on five hits.

The Panthers (10-4, 4-0 SLIAC) host St. Mary-of-the-Woods on Friday at 2 p.m. in a doubleheader.