PEORIA, Ill. - The softball team defeated Webster and Spalding on Friday to advance to the SLIAC tournament championship round for the first time since last winning the tournament title in 2018.
The Panthers, who held the position as visiting team in both games as the lower seed, opened the game against Webster with a run in the first inning and four runs in the second inning in establishing a 5-0 lead.
In the top of the first, Mia Boyd delivered a run-scoring double to provide GU with the 1-0 lead.
Greenville received an RBI single from Katie Woodruff in the second inning along with a two-run triple off Morgan Wendling's bat. GU scored their fifth run after Jaclyn Belzer popped up and Wendling scored on a throwing error by the catcher.
Pitcher Alison Klaus held Webster off the scoreboard until the fifth inning when the Gorloks scored a run, and WU later hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning.
Overall Klaus pitched all seven innings, only allowing three runs on five hits while striking out four.
Belzer finished 3-for-4 in the first game. Wendling and Megan Chapman went 2-for-4, and Boyd produced a 2-for-3 effort.
In game two, Greenville built a 3-0 lead in the first inning and added four more runs in the third inning as they took command of the game.
Spalding posted a run in the bottom of the fourth, but that was all they could muster off Klaus, who again delivered a complete game win.
Klaus struck out five Golden Eagles, while only allowing one run on four hits and two walks over seven innings.
Spalding hurt themselves in the first inning with two errors leading to the first run by Greenville. Later in the inning, Taylor Weiss hit a double that drove in Mia Boyd and came around to score on another error.
In the third inning, Weiss provided a two-run single, and Emma Funk knocked a two-run home run.
Weiss ended with a 2-for-4 hitting line with two runs scored and three RBI. Funk scored a run and was 2-for-3 with two RBI.
The Panthers (22-20) play Fontbonne on Saturday at the Louisville Slugger Complex in Peoria for the SLIAC tournament championship. The Panthers won the championship on four previous occasions, most recently winning three straight from 2016-18.
