Panthers pick up pair of league wins over Abilene

ABILENE — The Concordia High School softball team picked up its first two North Central Kansas League wins of the season by sweeping a doubleheader from Abilene on Tuesday.
Concordia scored eight runs in the fourth and sixth innings combined to down Abilene 9-3 in the first game of the twinbill.
The Panthers slipped past the Cowgirls 3-1 in the second game to improve to 9-5 overall and 2-4 in league play.
Erinae Flesher singled and scored a run on an error in the top of the first inning for Concordia in game one.
Abilene tied it up 1-1 with a run in the bottom of the first.
Scoring four runs in the fourth inning, the Panthers went on top to stay, 5-1.
Brecklynn Bonner reached base on an error and Kinsleigh Bethune singled with one out.
Acree then walked to load the bases.
A two-out single by Emalee Johnson got two runs home.
Hanna Acree and Johnson scored on an error.
Concordia extended the lead to 9-1 with four runs in the top of the sixth inning.
With one out, Acree tripled and Flesher and Johnson walked.
Shaelin Giersch singled to drive in Acree.
Kenlee Williams followed with a two-run single.
A ground ball by Bonner got Giersch home.
Abilene added single runs in the sixth and seventh innings to make it 9-3.
Acree pitched all seven innings to get the win. She gave up three runs, two earned, on six hits, struck out two and didn't walk any.
Johnson and Williams had two hits and drove in two runs each.
Acree was 2-for-3 with two runs scored.
Abilene scored its only run off Acree in game two in the bottom of the second inning.
Shut out through the first three innings, the Panthers went on top to stay with two runs in the top of the fourth inning.
Williams and Callie Parker each singled.
Bonner singled to drive in Williams with the first run.
A ground ball by Acree got Parker home.
Giersch reached base on an error and scored on a ground ball by Parker in the fifth inning to give the Panthers a 3-1 advantage.
Acree shut the Cowgirls out over the final five innings. She allowed one run on four hits, struck out three and didn't walk any in tossing a second straight complete game.
Concordia scored three runs on four hits.
The Panthers will play their final six games of the regular season at home starting with a non-league doubleheader against Minneapolis on Friday.
The Concordia junior varsity was beaten 17-12 by Abilene on Monday.
Bethune and Kaitlyn Nelson did the pitching for the Panthers.
Bethune had two hits and scored three runs.