Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By ALEC ETHEREDGE | Managing Editor

BIRMINGHAM – The Pelham Panthers bounced back from a loss to rival Helena with one of their best offensive performances of the season on Thursday, March 23.

Behind 20 hits, the Panthers were able to score 19 runs en route to a 19-7 victory on the road at Ramsay to improve to 9-7 overall this season heading into spring break.

The Panthers used multiple runs in four different innings to pull away for the victory, including a seven-run fifth that ultimately made the difference in helping them pull away.

Pelham actually fell behind 1-0 early in the game, but the Panthers responded in the top of the third with their first of two straight three-run innings.

A ground out from Jessica Gray led to two runs scoring with one being due to an error, while a solo home run from Jordan Howard quickly made it 3-1.

An inning later, the Panthers took what had become a one-run lead and flipped it back to multiple runs with a walk, two errors, an RBI groundout and an RBI single from Gray leading to three more runs and a 6-2 advantage.

But it was a two-out rally in the fifth that ultimately made the difference.

Pelham strung together three singles in a row and a three-run home run to make the score 12-2 before three more singles in a row led to one more run scoring for a 13-2 advantage.

Ramsay cut the deficit to 13-6 in the next inning, but Pelham added one more run in the top of the sixth and then finished off the scoring with a five-run top of the seventh to complete the 12-run victory.

Several had big games at the plate for Pelham, including a 5-for-6 performance for Gray, who totaled six RBIs. McKenzie Little added a 4-for-4 game with two RBIs, while Alaina Stewart finished with three hits and an RBI.

Jordan Howard put together two home runs in the win, totaling three RBIs, while she also had two walks. Taylor Howard also finished with multiple hits, totaling two hits and one RBI. Shelby-Grace Bailey added two hits, while Gabriella Vickers finished with one hit and one RBI. Rebecca Roy added the team’s other hit.

In the circle, Ryann Jones got the win after striking out eight and allowing three runs on eight hits in six innings of work. Gray finished off the final inning and struck out two in that span.