Panthers clinch winning season on Spring Break Trip

April 5, 2007

The Panthers bounced back from dropping their first three games to win their final three of four games to finish 3-4 during their spring break trip through Texas this week.  The Panthers now are 21-14 on the season, clinching head coach Jennifer Claybrook's third-straight winning season and the school's seventh 20-win season in the short history (10 yrs.) of the program. 

The three wins during the Texas trip gives Claybrook 125 wins for her career, almost doubling the win total from former coach, Shelly Whitaker who is second with 65 wins.  The four winning seasons total for Claybrook is the more than the previous three coaches combined (three).

Jennifer Knight and Kayla Yeargin each had a big week individually, and both hit .435 and .571, respectively.  Knight made the most noise at the plate, hitting three doubles and two home runs for eight RBI and five runs scored during the trip.

Amanda Daniel would pick up two wins and struck out 15 batters in 20.1 innings of work with two complete games in Texas.

University of Texas-Tyler defeated LaGrange 8-0 in four-and-a-half innings Saturday in the Panthers first game during their spring break trip.  In a quick game that lasted only one hour and five minutes, the game was shortened due to the run rule.

The Patriots (22-2) scored four runs in the first three innings to give the Patriots a 4-0 lead.

UT Tyler came back in the fourth with a two-out, four-run rally that took advantage of two errors in the field from LaGrange.  To take an 8-0 lead and seal the win.

The Panthers received complete-game pitching performances from Daniel and Megan Henry and swept a doubleheader Tuesday against Texas Lutheran with 6-3 and 5-1 wins.

The Panthers would fall to Univ. of Texas-Dallas (11-14), dropping both ends of a doubleheader, 6-3 and 6-5.

The Panthers were fighting an uphill battle right off the bat as they allowed four first-inning runs.  The Panthers would battle back and eventually take the lead, 5-4 in the top of the fifth, only to have their lead taken away in the bottom half of the inning on a two-run home run to lose the game.

In the second game, the Panthers had a three-hit first that was culminated with a three-run homer from Knight, then went up 4-0 in the second before the Bulldogs rallied to get within a run in the second with a three-run inning featuring four hits to tie the game, 3-3.  Then UTD would eventually seal the win scoring three more runs in the final two innings.

The Panthers led from the start in both games as they received a two-RBI double in the first inning from Knight in game one. She also doubled home a run in the first inning of game two.

The Bulldogs (15-11) was out-hit 10-5 in game one and 11-6 in game two. 

The Panthers split a Wednesday evening doubleheader with Trinity (Tex.) to break up the Tigers' eight-game winning streak.  The Panthers fell to the Tigers (19-9) 9-0 in five innings in the first game but re-grouped to take the later game, 4-1 in the twin bill.

The Tigers scored in all five innings of the first game, starting off the doubleheader with a bang by scoring four runs in the first.  Katie Hearn would be credited with the loss.  The Panthers managed only one hit in the game.

In game two, the Panthers got on the board first with a run in the opening inning, adding three more runs in the fourth and fifth, highlighted by Knight's two-run homer to take a 4-0 lead.  Trinity managed a run in the sixth, but couldn't close the gap.

Daniel earned her 11th win of the season and her 27th career shutout, ranking her third all-time in that category.  She held Trinity to just three hits in game two with six strikeouts.

Valeree Williams went two-for-four with two runs scored.  She would go .318 on the week with five runs scored off seven hits.

The softball team will have eight days off until next Thursday, April 12 when they play in their final home game of the year against Huntingdon.  The Panthers will try to sweep the Lady Hawks, (9-14; 5-3 GSAC) as both teams each split the twin bill in Montgomery, Ala. last month.  The Lady Hawks currently own a 17-16 advantage vs. the Panthers all-time, including two of the last three.  The doubleheader is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m.