IOWA FALLS, IOWA -- The Ellsworth softball team had shown signs of being a pretty good offensive team in the three games leading up to the Panthers' 4-game conference series with NIACC at Legion Field this week. But not many people could have forseen what the Panthers would do against the Trojans. ECC put up 66 runs in the four games in sweeping NIACC by scores of 20-5 and 14-6 on Sunday, followed by 21-16 and 11-3 victories on Monday. Going back to the second game of a doubleheader with Metropolitan CC on March 14, Ellsworth has scored 113 runs in 7 games, an average of 16 runs per contest. And the Panthers are off to a 4-0 start in the ICCAC standings after Monday's pair of wins.
The first game of the series with the Trojans featured a 16-run inning for ECC in the bottom of the 4th, after they entered the inning leading, 4-2. Gintare Paskocimaite slugged a 3-run homer in the 2nd and Meghan Danielson slammed a 3-run shot in the big 4th inning. Paskocimaite also tripled and scored four runs while driving in three. Lauren Brennan and Danielson collected two hits and Maggie Braniff and Grace Gordon one each. ECC used 8 hits and 13 walks to reach the 20-run mark. Danielson scored three times and Breanna Howard, Allyson Sparks, Braniff, Gordon and Lauren Abram two times each. Gordon picked up 4 RBIs, Danielson 3 and Brennan and Braniff 2 apiece. Delaney Vetter went the distance in the circle and struck out 8.
Ellsworth used another big inning to finish off Sunday's sweep. They pushed across 8 runs in the 3rd to expand a 4-1 lead. Paskocimaite had another home run, a 3-run shot, and a triple while knocking in 5 runs. That gave the sophomore infielder 15 RBIs over the last 4 games and a triple in 4 straight contests. Howard and Nevaeh Dice had 2 hits, Howard scored 3 runs and Brennan, Lili Ruiz and Abram all crossed the plate twice. There were 2 RBIs for Brennan, Sparks and Dice, and Howard, Dice, Gordon and Ruiz all drew 2 walks. Starting picher Jocelyn Hartley went the first 2 innings and Cheyanne Collins the final 4.
Monday was more of the same with the Panthers scoring early and often in both games. They actually trailed 11-1 in the opener after NIACC got 8 runs in the top of the 3rd. ECC began its comeback with 7 runs in the 3rd and added 5 more in the 4th to go ahead, 13-11. They fell behind 14-13 after the top of the 5th, then put together an 8-run inning in the bottom of that frame. Sparks moved into the leadoff spot in the lineup and responded with two singles and a homer, 3 runs and 4 RBIS. Howard, in the number-two hole, was 2-for-5 with 3 runs-batted-in and 2 runs. Brennan, Dice, Gordon and Ruiz all scored 3 runs, Gordon and Ruiz notched 3 RBIs and Braniff and Collins drove in two each. Everybody in the batting order had an RBI and 8-of-9 scored. Gordon drew 3 of ECC's 13 walks as they continued to show good plate discipline. Delaney Vetter got the start and was relieved in the 3rd inning by Asa Kesinger, who recorded her first collegiate pitching victory with 2 2/3 innings in relief. Brennan worked the last 2 innings.
The final game of the series didn't have much drama. Elllsworth opened up an 11-1 advantage after 3 innings and completed the sweep in a game that ended after 5 innings. Sparks, again in the leadoff position, homered for the 2nd game in a row, scored 3 runs and knocked in 4. Dice picked up 3 hits, including a double. Abram and Collins had 2 runs scored and 7 players registered an RBI. Hartley went the distance and allowed only two earned runs and no walks over 5 innings.
After the excellent beginning to the league season, ECC coach Nate Forsyth admitted he was somewhat surprised with all the runs scored. "After our opening weekend we have worked on cutting down on strikeouts and getting the ball in play," Forsyth said. "We have been taking more pitches, and you could see things starting to turn around when we were in Kansas City and our at-bats were better. We scored 5 in the top of the 7th against Metropolitan and ended up winning 16-15 and that was the spark that we needed."
That victory was the first in what is now a 7-game win streak for the Panthers. "We do have the potential to be a good offensive team," the ECC coach said, "and we need to continue to improve each week. We can't continue to score 16 (runs) a game. We have had some very good situational hitting over the past week which is great to see. Our execution has improved."
Forsyth said the pitchers need to pitch better and he is hopeful the Panthers can build off the past week's momentum. "This week has been fun, but also challenging. We are a little dinged up right now so we have some players playing out of position and they have responded. That has been the most fun, seeing the growth of our players and them having success."
The Panthers, now 9-5 overall, have a couple of days to recuperate before playing a doubleheader at Marshalltown CC on Thursday.