The Demon softball team swept the Panthers last night in a couple of quality softball games.

In game one, Washington got on the board in the first inning off of a single by Chayse Jaspering, and then a two out RBI double by Grace Redlinger to put the Demons up 1-0. The Panthers threatened, but Ashley Rausch was up to the task, fanning two in the first inning to get out of it with the same score. The game stayed 1-0 until the fourth inning, when The Demons got three walks and had the bases loaded for Amber Linnenkamp who stepped up with a two RBI single to make the score 3-0 Demons after four. Mt. Pleasant again threatened with two on in scoring position, but Rausch shut them down once more with another strikeout, and then would strikeout the side in the fifth inning. Washington added one more run in the seventh off four hits from the middle of their lineup to lead 4-0. The Panthers had their best chances in the seventh when Hattie Liechty reaching on an error, Callie Liechty had a single, Leslie Taylor singled to load the bases, an error on a play at second scored one, but then a couple of pop ups ended the comeback short and the Demon took game one 4-1.

Rausch had nine strikeouts in seven innings, walked one and allowed one unearned run in the outing. Grace Redlinger was 3-4 with a run and an RBI

In game two, Amber Linnenkamp took over the circle, and the Demons once again scored in the first inning. Washington switched the order up, and Jaspering led off with a double. Kolbi Breard laid down the sacrifice bunt and Rausch hit her in off the RBI to go up 1-0. Washington held the lead until the fourth when Callie Liechty doubled, a sacrifice bunt moved her over and a sacrifice RBI scored the tying run to make it 1-1 after four. Washington answered quickly in the fifth with Anna Wheeler getting walked, a sacrifice bunt from Jaspering moved her over into scoring position, and Rausch drove her home on her second RBI single of the game. The Demons got Breard on on an error in the seventh, and after going 0-7 on the night, Stephanie Fishback stepped up and hit the RBI single to give the Demons some needed insurance to go up 3-1.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Panthers had two singles and a passed ball that put them on in scoring position, but there was two outs. Lasswell stepped up and drilled one home while another came home on a passed ball tying it up 3-3 and we went to extras. The Demons stayed resilient as Anna Wheeler stepped up, drilled a ball under the shortstop’s glove and made her way to first. Then on a routine 4-3 play Sarah Moffet threw to third after getting the out and launched it wide, giving Wheeler and easy decision to score the go-ahead run 4-3. Mackenzie Knutson came into close out the seventh inning, and she put the Panthers away in the eighth to get the win.

Demon head coach Angie Shrader said Fishback is going to get her hits here sooner or later, tonight was a case of the defense being in the right place at the right time, and that these two wins mean much more than just numbers in the column.

“We felt like we were maybe making Steph a little bit too nervous making her lead off, so we moved her back to a more comfortable spot. She’s been hitting the ball so hard, but they just keep going right everyone, but she is going to get that monster hit one of these times, I mean she is smoking it,” Shrader said. “This is a big two wins for us, because we needed to get over that hump and get the confidence going for our team, and I think this is a good builder for us.”

Knutson got the win in game two going 1 1/3 with one hit, and two strikeouts, Rausch was 2-4 with two RBI’s, and Wheeler was 1-2 with two runs.

The Demons travel to Fairfield tonight to play Cardinal.