Wednesday, April 23, 2025
BELLEVILLE — Starting the 2025 season in strong fashion, the Concordia High School softball team got a two game sweep over the Republic County Buffalos, with first year head coach Robin Daniels earning her first wins.
In game one, the Panthers won 8-5 in nine innings.
After a Morgan Lister groundout to start the game, senior Kinsleigh Bethune would score the first point of the season after a hit-by-pitch and two passed balls allowed her to score.
Sophomore Jaylin Roush got the start on the mound, pitching all the way to the seventh inning.
Both offenses would struggle early on. The Panthers picked up their second run in the fourth inning with Stella Trost scoring after back-to-back passed balls and an error allowed her to score.
Roush would score in the sixth inning to give the Panthers a 3-0 lead, and two runs in the seventh would give the Panthers a 5-1 lead.
The Buffalos came alive on offense in the bottom of the seventh, scoring three straight runs to start the inning, bringing the Panther lead down to one. With two runners in scoring position with two outs, the Panthers turned to freshman Morgan Lister to get out of the jam.
Lister would get seven straight outs on the mound to earn the save. The Panthers scored three runs, thanks to a Katelyn Reedy two-out, game-winning triple in the top of the ninth to bring in Catelin Benyshek, Camleigh Hake, and Roush, to win 8-5.
Roush picked up the win with five runs allowed on six hits and four walks with eight strikeouts, and picked up two scored runs scored on one hit.
Bethune had three hits in four plate appearances.
Lister had two hits, including a double, with an RBI, and picked up the save.
In game two, the Panthers won 15-4.
After taking a one run lead in the first inning, thanks to a Hake double allowing Bethune to score, the Panthers roared for six runs in the second inning with Roush, Alyssa Patterson, Carly Brown (despite striking out), Reedy, Bethune, and Kenlee Williams all scoring to take a 7-0 lead.
After the Panthers picked up another run in the third, the Buffalos knocked in three runs to bring the lead down to five.
The Panthers countered in the fourth with four runs scored to hold a 12-3 lead.
Closing the game strong, Reedy, Lister, and Bethune scored three straight runs in the sixth for the Panthers. The Buffalos scored one run in the inning, but the game ended with the Panthers victorious, 15-4.
Lister earned the win with four runs allowed and three hits with seven strikeouts.
Reedy and Bethune each scored three runs, with Reedy having three hits, and Bethune having two.
Patterson, Lister, Roush, and Brown each scored two runs on a combined seven hits.
Williams had one run scored on one hit.
