Softball Off to Rough Start to Season

The Stockbridge softball team has had a rough start to the season after going 3-5 in its first eight games.

The Panther opened the season by dropping two of three to Perry in three hard-fought close games.

A McKenzie Noble home run put the Panthers up 4-3 in the fourth. Perry tied the game at four in the fifth and the game would go into extra innings where the Ramblers would win it in the eighth.

Noble finished with two hits and an RBI, Hailey Gauss and Arianna Place had a hit and RBI each, Bailey Bartrum and Rylee Recchy had one hit each. Bartrum struck out seven in the circle for the Panthers.

The Panthers took a 4-3 lead after one and pushed the lead to 7-3 in the fourth. Perry scored three in the fifth and had the tying run on second with one out, but Bartrum got a strikeout and a caught stealing ended the game as the Panthers held on for a 7-6 win.

Makayla Surline had two hits and two RBI and Gauss a hit and two RBI to lead the Panthers. Place and Recchy had a hit and RBI each, Noble a hit and two runs scored, Joslynn Caskey one hit. Bartrum earned the win striking out two.

The Panthers led the third game 5-3 in the fifth, but Perry scored three in the fifth and three in the sixth to take a 9-6 lead.

Stockbridge scored two in the seventh, but the rally came up short as Perry held on for the 9-8 win.

Gauss had a big game with four hits and two RBI to lead the Panthers.

Bartrum added three hits and two RBI, Ashlee Grumelot and Grace Burg a hit and RBI each, and Noble, Surline, and Caskey a hit and run scored each.

Bartrum struck out ten in the circle for the Panthers.

Stockbridge bounced back to take two from Whitmore Lake 13-0 and 13-5.

A nine-run first inning lifted the Panthers in the opener.

Surline had three hits and four RBI to lead the offense. Noble finished with three hits and an RBI and Burg two hits and an RBI. Azora Parks had a hit and two RBI, Gauss and Bartrum a hit and RBI each. Bartrum struck out nine and allowed one hit for the win.

The Panthers rallied for eight runs in the fifth and sixth innings to take the nightcap.

Noble smacked another home run and finished with three hits and two RBI. Surline added two hits and four RBI and Bartrum three hits and an RBI. Burg chipped in with three hits and two RBI, Gauss a hit and two RBI, Caskey and Recchy one hit each. Bartrum earned the win in relief with six strikeouts in three innings work.

The Panthers then dropped three straight to GLAC favorite Leslie.

Stockbridge dropped the opener 7-1. Place had two hits and one RBI and Bartrum two hits to lead the offense. Surline added a hit and run scored for Stockbridge. Bartrum struckout six in the loss.

The Panthers took a 4-2 lead in the sixth in the second game, but Leslie answered with six in the bottom of the inning to take an 8-4 lead and pulled out the win.

Place had two hits and one RBI, while Gauss and Surline had a hit and RBI each. Bartrum and Jessica Sparks added one hit each. Bartrum struckout eight for the Panthers.

Leslie then took the third game of the series 6-2 to finish the sweep. A three run third inning was the difference in the game for Leslie.

Gauss and Caskey each had a hit and RBI, while Bartrum and Sparks had one hit each for the Panthers. Bartrum struckout nine in the loss.