‘It was pretty impressive’: Panthers crank out 23 hits as offense never lets up against Crimsons

QUINCY — A roller coaster. That was the only way Camp Point Central softball coach Brey Genenbacher could describe the Panthers’ 19-9 victory over Jacksonville on Saturday at The Backyard.

“Moments of greatness followed by some troubles,” Genenbacher said.

The moments of greatness included 23 hits, six extra-base hits, runs in five consecutive innings to finish the game, four innings scoring three or more runs, and just one strikeout at the plate. 

Six errors which led to six unearned runs were the troubles.

“When we hit good enough to score 19 runs, we just need to have defense to back it up,” junior center fielder Claire Huston said. “Like maybe get out of a game earlier and save our pitchers’ arms a little bit.”

As evidenced by the Panthers’ offensive performance, they did not carry those errors with them to the plate.

“Having that perseverance to keep going and not get down whenever those troubles are happening was key,” Genenbacher said.

Eight Panthers had multiple hits and every player in the starting lineup notched a hit. Junior shortstop Karly Peters had five hits and drove in four runs. She said she had never been a part of an team offensive performance like this.

“It was pretty impressive,” Peters said. “I think everyone has been improving at the plate as we’ve gotten later in the season.”

Jacksonville tied the game at 4 on a Mack Gerard RBI single in the bottom of the second before the Panthers scored nine unanswered runs over the next four innings to take a 13-4 lead.

In the midst of that run, Central pitcher Emma Stephens wriggled her way out of multiple jams. The Crimsons loaded the bases with one out to bring the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the fourth before Stephens induced ground outs from Mia Schaecher and Alyvia Woods to end the inning.

With the Panthers leading 10-4 in the bottom of the fifth, Jacksonville’s Kenzie Law singled and Emily Brewer walked, but Stephens again escaped the inning with a fly out and a ground out.

“You just have to make your best pitch in those situations,” Stephens said. “Just throw strikes and trust your defense.”

Two fielder’s choice ground outs and two errors brought in four runs for the Crimsons (6-10) in the bottom of the sixth. With runners on first and third and two outs, Panthers catcher Gabby Homan picked off Law at third base to end the inning.

In the top of the seventh, the Panthers (8-9) put together their biggest inning of the game, tallying six runs. Peters drove in two of those runs on a triple, and she finished a home run shy of the cycle.

The Crimsons scratched across a run in the bottom of the seventh on two walks followed by a Schaecher RBI single.

Jacksonville coach Kelly Brockhouse said this was one of the wackier games he has been a part of in a while.

“We’d crawl back into it, then they’d have a big inning. We’d crawl back into it, then they’d have a big inning,” he said. “I’m proud of our girls, though. They never got down even in that last inning. They were still saving at bats and pushing to try and make a comeback.”

Stephens went 3 for 6 with three RBIs. Central first baseman Braizley Allison went 4 for 6.