MARSHALLTOWN, IOWA -- The Ellsworth Panthers scored 28 runs, banged out 40 hits and cruised to a sweep of Wednesday's doubleheader with Marshalltown CC, crushing the Tigers, 10-1 and 18-8.  ECC used a five-run 3rd inning to take control in the opener and then spotted MCC a 7-2 lead in game two before roaring back to complete the sweep.

In assessing his team's performance at the plate for the twinbill, ECC head coach Nate Forsyth said, "Offensively we have started to have better at-bats and are putting them together back-to-back.  And for the first time all year we have everyone back healthy so that helped a lot.  Confidence goes a long way when it comes to hitting so I was very happy with how we competed in the batters box."

There were a number of stellar offensive results for Elllsworth, starting in the first game with three-hit games by Gintare Paskocimaite, Gwen Hovorka and Kaysee Dale, who had two doubles.  Mya Mathes, Chloe Roberts and Kailey Becker had two hits each and Ally Sparks and Cheyanne Collins had the other hits in a 17-hit attack.  Dale, Mathes and Becker scored two runs and Dale and Hovorka each had a couple of RBIs.  Becker ran wild on the basepaths with three stolen bases in each contest.  Ellsworth tallied three runs in the top of the 1st, then erupted for five in the 3rd and two in the 4th in the five-inning game.  Delaney Vetter kept her pitching record perfect for the season with a complete-game six-hitter to up her mark to 4-0.

Thanks to a five-run 4th inning, Marshalltown went ahead 7-2 in game two and then the Panthers bats exploded.  They plated six runs in the 5th and 6th innings and finished off the win with a four-run 7th.  Chelsea Buck had a monster game at the plate, going 4-for-5 with a single, two doubles and a grand slam home run, and seven RBIs.  Hovorka also homered and had three hits and three runs scored.  Paskocimaite had another three-hit game as did Meghan Danielson and Becker, with Danielson doubling twice.  Grace Gordon was 2-for-2 with four runs driven in.  Danielson and Becker scored three times each.  ECC pounded out 23 hits and swiped seven bases, including three for Becker.  Cheyanne Collins started in the circle and went four innings to earn the victory.  Vetter got three innings of relief work and allowed just one run.

"Delaney has been throwing well," Forsyth said about his freshman pitcher.  "We had to bring her back in in the second game when we took a late lead.  She has really stepped up for us and seems to like being our go-to pitcher right now.  She needs to continue to get ahead of hitters and if she keeps battling like she has so far she will have a great season."

With the wins, the Panthers square their season record at 6-6, 3-3 in the ICCAC.  They will meet Iowa Lakes for doubleheaders this Saturday and Sunday in Estherville.  "Iowa Lakes went 1-and-3 against a very good Indian Hills team in the opening conference weekend so we know their pitching is good.  They are very well-coached and play with a lot of energy so we will need to match that intensity and, hopefully, build off our offensive performance against MCC.  It should be a very tough series," the Ellsworth coach concluded.