Panthers rebound, split pair with DL

Another doubleheader in Mid-State Conference play, another split for the Park Rapids fastpitch softball team.

For the fourth time in five outings this season, the Panthers split two games against a Mid-State Confer-ence opponent. This time it was Detroit Lakes, which rallied to win the first game 6-5 before the Panthers salvaged a split with an 18-9 win in the second game Thursday at Detroit Lakes.

That split left the Panthers with a 6-4 record in the conference and a 12-5 overall mark.

In the first game, Aman-da Adkins' two-run double capped off a three-run rally in the bottom of the seventh inning to give the Lakers the win.

Park Rapids jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first. With two outs, Amy Luther reached on an error, Amber Rowland lined an RBI double, Steph Medved had an RBI double, and Danielle Dent lined an RBI single.

After Detroit Lakes tied the game with a run in the second and two runs in the fourth, the Panthers used a one-out walk to Heather Tretbar, bunt singles by Carly Helfrich and Luther, and a two-run double by Rowland to claim a 5-3 lead in the seventh. Medved followed with another bunt single, but the Panthers left the bases loaded.

The Lakers then used three singles and Adkins' double to rally for the win.

Rowland went 2 for 4 with three RBI to lead the Panthers' offense. Cady Clinton took the loss.

In the second game, the Panthers used a season-high 18 hits and a pair of seven-run innings to offset a season-high six errors to earn the split.

RBI singles by Medved and Clinton and four errors gave the Panthers a 3-0 lead in the first.

A seven-run third inning pushed the lead to 10-2. A single by Medved, an RBI single by Dent, a two-run single by Anna Fossen, a two-run single by Luther and an RBI double by Row-land sparked that inning.

Rowland singled and scored on Clinton's single in the fifth as the Panthers led 11-4.

A seven-run seventh inning sealed the win. A single by Rowland, an RBI single by Dent, a two-run single by Kelli Schweigart, a two-run single by Holly Roepke and an RBI double by Helfrich were the key hits in that inning.

Rowland and Dent each went 3 for 5 while Medved, Clinton, Schweigart and Fossen each had two hits to pace the offense. Luther scattered eight hits and struck out five to improve to 9-2 on the season.

(Game 1)

Park Rapids 300 000 2.....5 7 0

Det. Lakes 010 200 3.....6 10 2

PARK RAPIDS AB R H RBI

Tretbar 3 1 0 0

Helfrich 4 1 1 0

Luther 3 1 1 0

Rowland 4 1 2 3

Medved 4 1 2 1

Dent 4 0 1 1

Roepke 0 0 0 0

Clinton 3 0 0 0

Moorhouse 2 0 0 0

Schweigart 2 0 0 0

Fossen 0 0 0 0

Totals 29 5 7 5

Clinton (6IP, 6R, 5ER, 10H, 3K, 0BB) and Dent; Butz and Larson. W- Butz. L-Clinton, 2-3. 2B: Rowland 2. SB: Medved 1, Roepke 1.

(Game 2)

Park Rapids 307 010 7...18 18 6

Det. Lakes 112 130 1....9 8 7

PARK RAPIDS AB R H RBI

Tretbar 5 3 1 0

Helfrich 6 0 1 1

Luther 5 3 1 2

Rowland 5 3 3 1

Medved 5 2 2 2

Clinton 3 2 2 2

Dent 5 0 3 2

Kelly 0 1 0 0

Schweigart 4 1 2 2

Fossen 3 1 2 2

Roepke 2 2 1 2

Moorhouse 0 0 0 0

Totals 43 18 18 16

Luther (7IP, 9R, 4ER, 8H, 5K, 1BB, 2HBP) and Dent; Butz and Larson. W-Luther, 9-2. L-Butz. 2B: Helfrich 1, Rowland 1. 3B: Fossen 1. SB: Tretbar 2, Helfrich 1, Luther 1, Medved 2.