Ripping off four run-rule wins to start Kansas Jayhawk Conference softball play, the No. 20 Neosho County Panthers swept Independence, 18-1, 14-3, on the road on Thursday before hosting and sweeping Coffeyville on Saturday, 8-0, 10-1.
After nursing a 2-0 lead through three frames in Game 1 against Independence, the Panthers plated 11 runs in the fourth then five more in the fifth to bury the Pirates.
Eleanor Rieck tossed four innings of shutout ball for the win in the circle while the Panthers’ offense tallied 19 hits from 10 different players — Emma West and Kamri Naff each had three hits apiece, with Naff homering.
“We’ve been hitting a lot,” Neosho County interim head coach Mateighia Tanner said. “The weather hasn’t been in our favor pretty much since January. So we took advantage of the indoor and we’ve been hitting a lot. That’s what showed. We pulled girls off our bench and every single one of them got good, hard hits.”
Naff hurled three innings of shutout ball in Game 2 to earn the win for Neosho County.
“She can do it on both sides,” Tanner said. “She can do it at the plate and do it in the circle. And she can play first base. Being able to have her offensively and defensively in the lineup is a huge asset to this team. She’s a leader.”
Jacie Costin and Addison Bloodgood each had three hits while Annsleigh Morris had one home run in each game.
“We knew our record was 0-0 again,” Tanner said. “We wanted to go 2-0 to start conference play. We weren’t looking for a split. We were looking for a sweep. We came out ready to annihilate.”
In Game 1 against Coffeyville, the Panthers scored in each frame while Rieck allowed three hits and struck out five over five frames of work.
“Eleanor pitched amazingly and her defense had her back,” Tanner said. “We had some amazing defensive plays out there in Game 1. We came and scored every single inning. We kept passing the bat. We hit gaps and found extra bases.”
Morris belted two home runs in Game 2.
“In Game 1, she struggled a little bit. But she came back in Game 2 and made adjustments,” Tanner said. “She went oppo on one and pulled one. Those are two huge at-bats to get her bat back and feeling confident. She’s a force to be reckoned with.”
Showcasing variety in its offense, the Panthers stole eight bases over the four games and utilized more short game.
“We have a lot of speed and we’re utilizing it,” Tanner said. “When we’re on base with our speed, our power hitters come up and do their job. Everybody in the lineup is getting hits and making plays at the plate. That’s huge. We have a variety of hitters on our team.”
After going 12-10 in non-conference play, the four straight wins with 50 combined runs was a revitalizing sign.
“It’s a good feeling to come out and put a lot of runs on the board,” Tanner said. “Coming out 4-0 is a huge boost of confidence and a momentum shift for us. Hopefully we keep riding it.”
Up next
Neosho County hits the road on Thursday to face Cloud County in Concordia as conference action resumes.
