Kewanee Boiler Girls softball opened up TRAC (East) conference play with a 5-4 win over the Erie-Prophetstown Lady Panthers on Monday.
The Boiler Girls jumped out to 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning following a leadoff single by Remy Hicks and a sacrifice bunt by Audrey Clucas.
A line drive to right field by Macee Pickering and an error on the right fielder scored Hicks and advanced Pickering to second base. Rylee Blades singled on a ground ball up the middle scoring Pickering.
Erie-Prophetstown scored a run in the top of the third inning with a home run to left field.
Kewanee answered with two runs in the bottom of the third after a leadoff walk by Clucas, and doubles by Pickering and Blades.
Lyric Duytschayver reached on a dropped third strike in the bottom of the sixth inning. Pinch runner Dani Jo Currier scored on a passed ball after stealing first and second bases.
Erie-Prophetstown’s seventh-inning rally fell short after a home run to center field in the top of the seventh inning scoring two more runs.
Starting pitcher Kalleigh Gale earned the win for the Boiler Girls. She scattered six hits and four runs over seven innings, striking out eight E-P batters and walking only one.
The Boiler Girls softball moved to 5-2 on the season, and 1-0 in the TRAC (East). They travel to Princeville on Tuesday before a conference rematch at Erie-Prophetstown on Thursday.
