Panthers score 12 runs in third inning of 18-0 win over WFC

SOUTH WILMINGTON − Behind six walks, six hits and a hit-by-pitch, the Gardner-South Wilmington softball team put together a 12-run third inning at home Wednesday to seal an 18-0 win over Woodland/Flanagan-Cornell.

The Panthers had more walks (10) than hits (nine) in while also being hit by five pitches. They got three shutout innings from Maddie Simms and one more from Jo Male to close things out as they improved to 6-3 on the season.

The Warriors fell to 1-6 with the loss.

G-SW beat Momence 15-1 on Tuesday, and with 18 more runs Wednesday, head coach Amber Eisha said she has liked the team’s approach at the plate lately.

“Our bats have really come alive,” she said. “We’re putting the bat on the ball, and even the balls that are outs, they’re still hard-hit balls. I tell the girls that they’re going to fall eventually, so keep hitting them hard like we are. Pitching and defense have definitely been huge for us too.”

Simms picked up the win Wednesday to improve to 6-1 on the season. She allowed just one hit, walking two batters to go with seven strikeouts. The start lowered Simms’ season ERA to 0.92 as she has allowed just five earned runs in 38 innings and racked up 67 strikeouts.

She also went 1 for 2 with a double, two RBIs, two runs and was hit by a pitch. She is slashing .476/.500/.733 on the season, leading the team in batting average, slugging, hits (14) and doubles (five).

Simms was productive last season as well, posting a 4.02 ERA, recording 137 strikeouts over 92 ⅓ innings and leading the team with an OPS of 1.226, but Eisha said Simms’ has only gained more confidence since then.

“The confidence and the growth, just trusting herself and her abilities, I’m seeing that come out of her,” Eisha said. “Especially at this age, it’s hard for teenage girls to sometimes feel that, but seeing her confidence grow to see what she can do on both sides of the ball has been huge for her.”

Simms said she has just been putting work in whenever she can, something the entire team has been focusing on as well.

“We’re really starting to get serious about it, and I’m really happy we’re doing good as a team,” Simms said. “It’s just been really fun. I’m so happy that we have enough girls, because last year we barely had enough. So this year, just having enough girls – especially that want to put in the work – is just such a fun time.

“It’s so exciting, because I love the sport, and I know our whole team does.”

Kayla Scheuber was 2 for 4 for the Panthers with a double and five RBIs. Male went 2 for 2 with a walk, two RBIs and two runs, while Bella Dinello was 1 for 1 with two walks, two RBIs and three runs.

For the Warriors, Jaylei Leininger went 1 for 1 with a single and a walk. Taylor Heidenreich was 1 for 1. Addyson Ewing also reached base via a walk in her lone plate appearance.

WFC head coach Sydnee Plesko said the team is working on ironing some things out as this point in the season.

“We’re just practicing learning from everything and keeping our heads up, trying to play with some class and keep things going even when the score doesn’t go our way or our at-bats don’t go how we want them to,” she said. “We’re definitely getting there, making a lot of progress and a lot of strides, and starting to find people in the right spots.”

G-SW is coming off a 15-12 season, its first winning season since 2019. Eisha said she thinks this team can take step forward from that group as they move forward through the season.

“I can see us definitely making us a run between conference and even in the postseason,” Eisha said. “They’re doing really well and coming together as a team all the way around. Having that ability out of all of them, where they are forming a team that is solid, I know I can put them out there and trust them and what they are going to do, and they trust their skills.”