FULTON, Mo. - The softball season came to an end on Saturday in the SLIAC tournament at Westminster. Greenville fell 9-0 in a winner's bracket game against Eureka, the SLIAC regular season champion, and moved into an elimination game with Spalding that they dropped 9-6. Between games, the SLIAC announced the all-conference awards that featured two first team selections from Greenville.
In the game against Eureka, the Panthers fell behind 3-0 after one inning. The first inning ended the pitching appearance of starting pitcher Maegan Stone, who permitted three runs on three hits and one walk.
Kendall Farr came into the game as pitcher from her position as designated player in the second inning and worked 3.1 innings, allowing six runs, three earned, on eight hits and three walks. Eureka posted four runs in the fourth inning and and two in the fifth to obtain the needed runs to end the game in five innings.
Cayla Speaks relieved Farr and went two-thirds of an inning.
The Panther bats were quiet as they only managed to scratch out hits by Deidra Holzhauer and Olivia Shipman in the game.
The SLIAC All-Conference ceremony between games announced the season's awards.
Panther shortstop Kayla Zimmerman and outfielder Beth Mersinger were announced as members of the all-conference first team.
Pitcher Stone, third baseman Megan Barrett, and infielder/pitcher Kendall Farr received awards as SLIAC second team selections.
Utility player Holzhauer earned a third team nod, and infielder/pitcher Speaks was selected to the all-sportsmanship team.
Following the awards ceremony and a win by Spalding over Iowa Wesleyan, the Panthers met the Golden Eagles with an appearance in the championship game on the line.
Spalding established an 8-0 lead after three and a half innings, and Greenville rallied with six runs in the second half of the game.
The Panthers got a two-run home run from Mersinger in the fourth inning.
In the sixth inning, the Panthers loaded the bases and got RBI singles from Shipman and Stone to make the score 9-4.
The fifth run crossed the plate on a wild pitch, sending Speaks home to score, and Zimmerman provided an RBI infield single for the sixth run.
Spalding held GU scoreless to end the game in the seventh.
The Panthers had the tying run on deck in the seventh inning, but Amanda Atteberry was retired with groundout to third base to end the game.
Speaks was a perfect 3-for-3 with a run scored, and Stone went 2-for-2 with an RBI.
Holzhauer started the game in the circle, working three innings and allowing six runs, four earned, on nine hits.
Stone worked four innings, permitting three runs, one earned, on six hits.
The Panthers ended their season with another 20 win campaign running their streak of 20 win seasons to six consecutive.
