WOODWARD — Pekin and Saydel spoiled the Phil Creese Classic for Woodward-Granger with a pair of wins over the Hawks Saturday.
Pekin (10-7) scored three times in the top of the seventh inning to snatch a 6-4 from W-G (8-12), with Saydel exploding for a 15-1 win in six innings in the third and final game of the event, held in memory of the late local softball icon. Saydel (12-9) was an 11-8 winner over Pekin in the second contest.
The Hawks were off to a quick start in the opener with a three-run first inning. Kayley Bandstra walked following a Katelyn Bandstra single to put a pair of runners aboard, with a sacrifice fly from Riley Jamison driving in the first run. Kendra Husmann added a base hit and Maggi Mallon a RBI ground out, with Kaycee Major singling as the hosts jumped to a fast lead.
A fine defensive play had helped keep Pekin off the scoreboard in the third. Leah Dix reached on a fielders choice, with a walk putting two runners aboard. Dix was on third with Zoey Wright flew out to Bree Lesch in center field. Dix tagged and raced to the plate, but Lesch fired a bullet to catcher Mallon for an inning-ending double play.
W-G’s lead stood until Wright hit a two-run home run in the fifth, with a base hit later in the inning tying the score.
Jamison reached on an error in the bottom of the sixth, moved to third on a Husmann double and scored on Mallon’s RBI sac fly for a 4-3 lead.
Unfortunately for the hosts, the Panthers used three one-out singles, a sac fly and a final base hit to score three times in the seventh and steal the win when the Hawks failed to score in their final at-bat.
Jamison allowed six runs on 10 hits and a walk while striking out three.
Bandstra had two singles, Husmann a single and a double and Major a single to account for the five Hawk hits.
Cari Duwa pitched the first inning for Pekin, yielding three runs (one earned) on two hits and walk. Faith Gowdy threw the final six frames, allowing an unearned run on three hits while striking out two to collect the win.
Kaylee Linder aided the Panther cause with two singles and a double, with Wright adding a single to her two-run homer.
Saydel wasted little time in seizing control of the final game of the classic by scoring five times in the top of the first, with four consecutive singles fueling the spurt.
W-G scored in the third when Bandstra singled and eventually crossed the plate on a Mallon base hit, but an Eagle run in the fourth, four in the fifth and five more in the sixth brought the game to an end.
Jamison threw five innings, allowing 10 runs (six earned) on 13 hits while striking out three. Ava Peterson pitched the sixth, yielding five runs (four earned) on three hits and three walks while tallying one strikeout.
Lesch had two singles and a stolen base, with Bandstra, Dresback, Mallon and Miranda Aunspach also providing base hits.
Kaylee Polkey collected the win. She struck out five while surrendering one run on six hits and two walks.
Analease Barton was 3-for-3 with three runs scored for the Eagles, with Shelby Weber 3-for-4 with a double as was Alexis Carney. Destiny Butters had a triple and Sabrina McKay a double for the victors.
W-G will play a WCAC varsity doubleheader at Ogden Monday before hosting Des Moines Christian Tuesday and West Central Valley for a WCAC varsity twinbill Thursday.
