IOWA FALLS, IOWA -- Ellsworth got a solid pitching performance from Delaney Vetter and homers from Gintare Paskocimaite and Mya Mathes to capture the final game of a weekend ICCAC series with Southwestern CC, winning 9-1 in six innings Sunday afternoon. The Panthers were able to salvage the last game of the four-game set with the Spartans, who won 15-10 and 9-1 Saturday, and took Sunday's first game, 8-0.
In the ECC victory, Vetter gave up only five hits and an unearned run while walking one and striking out two to notch her 11th win. She got plenty of offensive support, starting with Paskocimaite's 7th homer, a 3-run shot, and Mathes's 3rd round-tripper, a 2-run blast. Paskocimaite and Meghan Danielson both had RBI doubles and Kaysee Dale chipped in with three hits and three runs scored. The Panthers scored five runs in the 2nd inning and rolled to their 18th win.
Things didn't go so well for the Panthers, however, leading up to game four. In the series opener, they led early, 4-2, were up 7-6 after four innings and trailed by an 8-7 count until SWCC erupted for seven runs in the 6th inning. Chelsea Buck slammed her team-leading 10th home run and Dale knocked out three hits. Paskocimaite and Dale scored three times and Buck twice. The Panthers stole five bases, two by Dale. Vetter went the distance and absorbed the defeat.
Southwestern used a 7-run 3rd inning to decide the second game early. ECC was limited to five hits, including doubles for Buck and Gwen Hovorka, and Bri Howard stole a base and scored the lone run. Cheyanne Collins started in the circle and went three innings with Grace Gordon and Lili Ruiz pitching in relief. Ruiz tossed two scoreless innings.
The Panthers could only come up with four hits in the first contest Sunday, singles by Dale, Paskocimaite, Buck and Kailey Becker. They were shut out for just the 3rd time this spring. Chloe Roberts and Collins divided the pitching duties.
In the final week of the regular season, Ellsworth will host NIACC in a doubleheader on Wednesday.