LEWISBURG — Tri-County North’s softball team built a big lead early then had to hold on for its first win of the season.
Franklin-Monroe wasn’t able to overcome the big hole it dug itself into against the Panthers, as North held on for a 9-7 win.
North jumped out to an 8-run lead after five innings.
Brooke Timmons racked up two RBI on three hits for North. She doubled in the fifth inning and singled in the fourth and sixth innings.
Riley Cruse got the win for the Panthers despite allowing seven runs over six innings. She struck out four, walked two and surrendered nine hits.
The game’s last lead went to North in a third inning rally which saw two runs cross the plate on an RBI single by Hailey Stupp.
North scored three runs in the fourth inning and matched that run total in the fifth. In the fourth, the Panthers scored on an RBI single by Cruse, scoring Kimberly Stacey.
The Panthers piled on three more runs in the bottom of the fifth. Taylor Green started the inning with a single. That was followed up by Timmons’ double, bringing home Stacey.
On Tuesday, North suffered a 4-3 setback to Bradford depsite outhitting the Railroaders.
Taylor Green racked up three RBI on one hit for North, homering in the seventh inning to cut the Panthers deficit to a single run.
Megan Hemp was a workhorse in the circle for North. Hemp allowed no earned runs, five hits and one walk while striking out three over six innings of work.
Hemp ended up on the wrong side of the pitching decision and was charged with the loss.
The lead stayed with Bradford after the second, when it scored three runs on an error and a groundout.
After pushing across three runs in the top of the seventh. A three-run home run by Green sparked the Panthers’ rally. Finally, Smith got a fly out to end the game.
On Saturday, March 26, North dropped both ends of a double-header to Dixie.
The Panthers fell in the first game 7-3 and dropped an 8-2 de
cision in the second.
The bottom of the first saw North take an early lead, 1-0.
Dixie stayed on top until the final out after taking the lead in the fifth, scoring three runs on a two-run homerun and an RBI single.
In game two, the Panthers jumped out to an early lead, but were unable to hold on.
Dixie took the lead in the sixth inning on an error.
In the bottom of the third, North grabbed the early lead, 2-0. The Panthers got things going when Morgan Helman doubled. Kaitlin Heindl doubled, scoring Hailey Stupp and Helman.
The lead stayed with Dixie after the sixth, when the team scored five runs on two doubles and an error.
North, now 1-3, was scheduled to visit Union County (Ind.) on Monday, April 4 and Mississinawa Valley on Tuesday. They will be on the road for the remainder of the week as well, visiting Valley View on Thursday and Dayton Christian on Friday.
