The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has released the Daktronics-NAIA Scholar Athlete team for the 2007 season. The team was released in conjunction with the 2007 NAIA Softball National Championship Tournament, which is took place in Decaur, Ala., at the Wilson Morgan Softball Complex.

Senior Heather Weaver, an accounting major from Mishawaka , IN represented Purdue North Central on the team as a second baseman. Weaver batted .352 overall (31 for 88) in 33 games played, 28 as a starter. She had four doubles, one triple, 12 RBI's, scored 11 runs, and was five for six in stolen bases. She fielded .966 overall and committed just four errors on the season.

To be nominated, a student-athlete must be a junior or senior, have a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale, and must have been a varsity team member for the entire season.

The Purdue North Central Softball team recently announced seven new recruits that have signed Letters of Intent for the 2007-08 academic year.

They are: Christina Caldwell (Andrean High School), Julie Farmer (Chesterton High School), Lauren Olivo (Highland High School), Samantha Griffith (Portage High School), Anna Stepens (Crown Point High School), Danielle Burdine (Cascade High School) and Erica Wulczynski (New Prairie High School).

This group along with a core of returning veterans looks to lead the Panther softball program to new heights under the direction of head coach Jeff Boardman. After inheriting the team with a limited roster for the 2006 season, Boardman and the Panthers finished 6-32. However, after just one recruiting class, PNC rebounded for a 21-17 overall record and a 10-8 finish in the difficult Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference.

The Panther coaching staff has been very successful in attracting local talent, as 14 members of last year's squad came from less than an hour away. With the program's reputation on the rise, this is a trend that the Panthers expect to continue.

The Purdue North Central softball team recently announced the selection of three Panthers to the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic All-Conference teams.

Bethany Toyias and Erin Foust were both First Team recipients while Alyssa Duncan was named Honorable Mention All-Conference.

Toyias, a junior from Schererville, IN and a product of Lake Central High School, made the First Team as a pitcher where she finished 14-6 overall with a 2.05 ERA. In 119.2 innings she gave up 46 runs (35 earned) and 100 hits. She struck out 104 while walking 45 and held opponents to a .219 batting average. Toyias appeared in 20 games, started 19, completed 15 and tossed three shutouts.

Foust, a freshman from South Bend , IN and South Bend Riley High School , made the First Team as an outfielder. She led the Panthers with a .394 average in 38 games played. Foust was 50 for 127 overall with nine doubles, 20 RBI, 24 runs, nine walks and just nine strikeouts. She also led the team with a .439 on-base-percentage and ranked third with five stolen bases in six attempts.

Duncan, a freshman outfielder, is also from Schererville , IN and Lake Central High School . She batted .345 with nine doubles, four triples and 24 RBI. In 38 games played, Duncan was 41 for 119 with 23 runs and eight walks.

The Panthers finished 21-17 overall and 10-8 in the CCAC, setting single season win records in both categories. Their fourth place finish (of 10 teams) was also the highest in program history.

With a core of returning veterans and a solid recruiting class, second year head coach Jeff Boardman has the program on the rise. Boardman inherited the team last season with a limited roster and the Panthers finished 6-32. After just one recruiting class and this year's remarkable turnaround, the Panthers are clearly a team to watch in the future.

The Purdue North Central softball team's spectacular season came to an end as they were eliminated from the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament Thursday afternoon at St. Xavier in Chicago .

The Panthers concluded their season with a 21-17 overall record, setting the single season record for wins in a season and becoming the first softball team to finish over .500. The team completed a remarkable turnaround under the direction of second year head coach Jeff Boardman after finishing 6-32 last season.

In game one the Panthers (#4 seed) lost 3-2 to St. Francis (#5 seed) in the double elimination tournament.

St. Francis scored single runs in the first, third and seventh innings while PNC scored single runs in the fifth and sixth innings. The Saints scored their runs on just three hits and three walks and committed two errors, while the Panthers managed four hits and also committed two errors.

Erin Foust and Val Minyard drove in one run apiece for PNC while Foust, Jessica Brannagan, Heather Weaver (double) and Kate Golden (double) collected one hit each. The Panthers left four runners on base and struck out eight times in the game.

The losing pitcher was Bethany Toyias who fell to 14-6 overall despite allowing just three runs (two earned) while striking out five in going the distance.

In game two PNC fell 7-2 to Trinity International (#6 seed) to end their season.

The Panthers jumped out to 2-0 lead with two runs in the second. But Trinity International responded with two runs in both the third and fourth innings and three in the seventh for the difference.

PNC collected six hits and four walks but left eight runners on base while committing two errors. Trinity pounded out 11 hits and collected two walks but was flawless in the field.

Six different players had hits for PNC with Brannagan and Melissa Carson collecting the RBI's. Betsy Maher had the only extra base hit for the Panthers with a double in the sixth inning.

Golden (2-5) took the loss for the Panthers, allowing four runs (three earned) on seven hits in four innings. Alissa Whitaker finished the game and gave up three runs (two earned) on four hits in three innings of relief.

The Purdue University North Central softball team won two games, 3-2 and 4-0, against visiting Cardinal Stritch University Saturday afternoon in Michigan City.

The two wins qualified the team for the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament for just the second time in the program's history with the sixth and final seed. The tournament starts Wednesday with times and location to be announced.

The Panthers finished the regular season 21-15 and 10-8 in the conference, establishing new single season win records for both overall and conference totals.

In game one, PNC came from behind in the bottom of the 7th to win the game 3-2. The Panthers scored their first run in the fourth inning when senior Jennifer Cassell hit a single to left center to bring in senior Heather Weaver.

But the Wolves answered back in the fifth, scoring two runs on a single to center field, taking the lead 2-1.

The Panthers, determined to make it to the post season, responded with two runs in the bottom of the 7th inning. Pinch hitter Melissa Carson hit a double to right center bringing in Betsy Maher to tie the game 2-2. PNC won the game on a single to left center by Weaver, driving in Stephanie Zaharias to end the game.

Pitcher Bethany Toyias (14-5) earned the win for the Panthers, allowing just five hits and three walks while striking out five in the complete game victory.

In game two PNC scored two in the first when Tracy Markwell scored on a ground out by Kate Golden and Erin Foust scored on a single by Cassell.

The Panthers added to their lead in the third inning when Golden hit a triple to score Foust. Golden then scored when Cassell grounded out to short, putting the Panthers up 4-0. Alyssa Whitaker (5-4) earned the win for PNC, pitching seven full innings, allowing only six hits while striking out nine.

Today was also Senior Day for PNC. The Panthers will be graduating three student-athletes this year: Cassell (C/1B) played three years at PNC after transferring from Glenville State College in 2004. She ended the regular season with a .354 batting average and .977 fielding percentage. Weaver (2B) played two years at PNC after transferring from Indiana University in 2005. She also ended the regular season with a .354 batting average and fielded .963. Outfielder Katie Ebach spent four years with the Panther program. She hit .250 this season and was a 2006 All-Conference Honorable Mention player.

The Purdue University North Central softball team split with Olivet Nazarene University 1-0 and 6-1 on Thursday in Bourbanaiss. This was the first time in school history PNC has defeated Olivet. The Panthers moved to 19-15 on the year and 8-8 in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference, while the Tigers moved to 26-13 and 11-2.

An extra inning was needed to decide game one of the double header. Both teams displayed excellent defense as neither team would give. PNC's Bethany Toyias threw the shut out for the Panthers, allowing only five hits in eight innings of play.

Alyssa Duncan hit a single up the middle to score Jessica Brannagan from third to give the panthers the lead in the top of the eighth. The Panther defense was able to hold the Tigers in the bottom of the eighth to take the historic win.

Game two saw Olivet come to life as the Tigers jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first. The Panthers cut the lead to 2-1 in the second when Betsy Maher drove in Alyssa Duncan. Olivet answered with two runs in the second to extend their lead to 4-1. The Tigers added to their lead in the sixth with two more runs putting the score at 6-1. Pitcher Alyssa Whitaker took the loss for the Panthers.

PNC will be back in action at home next Friday when they face the University of St. Francis in non-conference play. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.

The Purdue North Central softball team won both non-conference games against IU-Southeast on Sunday by the scores of 6-1 and 1-0. The Panthers improved to 18-14 overall while IUSE fell to 12-16.

In game one Alyssa Duncan led PNC by going two for three with two RBI's and a triple, while Erin Foust was one for two with two RBI's. Bethany Toyias earned the victory by allowing just five hits while striking out 10 in the complete game effort.

Game two saw Jennifer Cassell hit a single to center field to drive in the only run of the game in the bottom of the seventh to give the Panthers the sweep. The winning pitcher was Kate Golden, who threw three scorless innings in relief and struck out three. Alyssa Whitaaker started for the Panthers and threw four scorless innings and also struck out three.

The Panthers will be back in action on Thursday when they travel to Bourbonais, IL to take on conference rival Olivet Nazarene at 3 p.m..

The Purdue North Central softball team swept Calumet College of St. Joseph Monday afternoon in Michigan City. PNC won both games 10-2 and were concluded by the eight run rule in the 5th inning. The Panthers improved to 16-14 overall and 7-7 in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference.

Snow flurries didn't stop the flurry of hits by the Panthers. In game one of the doubleheader, PNC had 13 hits and was lead by Valorie Minyard with two hits and three RBI's while Heather Weaver, Erin Foust, and Betsy Maher added two hits apiece.

The winning pitcher was Bethany Toyias, who allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits and four walks while striking out six in the complete game victory.

In game two the Panthers continued their hitting ways. Foust had two hits and three RBI's, Alyssa Duncan also had two hits and two RBI's and Jennifer Cassell added a double and two RBI's as well. Overall, PNC had 10 runs on 13 hits, with six hits being doubles and while Weaver added a triple.

The winning pitcher was Alyssa Whitaker. She allowed two runs on three hits and one walk while striking out six in her five innings of work.

The Panthers will travel to Iowa to participate in the Iowa Wesleyan Tournament April 12th-14th and then will be back home at Patriot Park on Sunday April 15th when they host Indiana University Southeast. First pitch is scheduled for 2 pm.

PNC softball split with Trinity Christian College Wednesday afternoon in Michigan City. The Panthers won the first game 13-3 and lost the second 16-8. The Panthers improved to 14-14 overall and 5-7 in the CCAC.

In game one Betsy Maher led the way for the Panthers with two triples and four RBI's. Jennifer Cassell also added three RBI's on two hits while Alyssa Duncan and Jessica Brannagan led the team with three hits apiece.

Overall, the team scored 13 runs on 14 hits. The game ended on a double by Kate Golden bringing in the runs to end the game to the 8-run rule.

Bethany Toyias earned the win for the Panthers, allowing three runs (one earned) on three hits while walking and striking out two in the shortened, five inning game.

Game two saw the opposite result as Trinity Christian scored four runs in the first inning. PNC cut the lead to one, scoring one run in the first and two in the second, but Trinity answered with four in the third to take an 8-3 lead.

The Panthers rallied back to tie the game 8-8 in the fourth inning. However, the Trinity offense was too tough to overcome, scoring five runs in the fifth and three runs in the sixth ending the game on the 8-run rule.

The Panthers were led by Maher's two hits while Erin Foust and Val Minyard contributed two RBI's each.

Toyias took the loss for the Panthers, giving up four runs (two earned) on two hits and seven walks in 1.1 innings in relief.

PNC will be back in action on Monday when they take on Calumet College of St. Joseph in a CCAC doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 pm.

In game one the Panthers were lead by Jessica Brannagan (Chesterton) and Erin Foust (South Bend Riley) with two hits apiece. PNC scored their only run when Heather Weaver (Mishawaka) knocked in Alyssa Duncan (Lake Central) with a single after Duncan reached base with a triple in the bottom of the seventh.

Kate Golden (Lake Central) took the loss for the Panthers, allowing three runs on three hits, four walks and two erros while striking out three in five innings. Tracy Markwell pitched two scoreless inning of relief for the Panthers.

In game two the only run of the game came in the bottom of the seventh inning when Betsy Maher 's (Chesterton) double drove in pinch runner Katie Ebach (La Porte) for the win. Ebach was running for Weaver who had reached on a singe.

Bethany Toyias (Lake Central) earned the win for the Panthers by allowing just three hits and two walks while striking out five in the complete game victory.

The Panthers will be back in action on Wednesday when they host Trinity Christian College in a CCAC doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 pm.

The Purdue North Central softball team split a doubleheader with Trinity International University Friday in Deerfield, IL .

The Trojans took game one winning 5-4 before the Panthers returned the favor in game two defeating Trinity by the same score. The Panthers improved to 12-12 overall and 3-5 in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference.

In game one, the Panthers fell 5-4 despite pounding out 11 hits. Erin Foust and Heather Weaver led the way with three hits apiece while Jennifer Cassell added a hit and two RBI's. Alyssa Duncan and Foust both contributed an RBI as well.

Bethany Toyias took the loss for the Panthers allowing five runs on seven hits and four walks while striking out five in the complete game effort.

A strong pitching performance by Kate Golden helped PNC win the second game 5-4. Golden allowed four runs on six hits and three walks while striking out nine batters in another complete game for the Panthers.

Golden also helped herself with three hits and an RBI. Melissa Carson and Erin Foust also had RBI's while Jessica Brannagan added three hits for PNC.

Trinity scored all four runs in the 7 th inning but fell short in the comeback attempt as Golden struck out the final batter with the tying run on second base.

The Panthers will be back in action at home on Monday, April 2 nd when they face Judson College in another CCAC match-up. First pitch is scheduled for 4:00 pm.

The Purdue North Central softball team lost two close games with Robert Morris College Thursday in Chicago. The Panthers dropped to 11-11 overall and to 2-4 in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference.

In game onel, tough defense on both sides kept either team from running away with the game as Robert Morris escaped with a 2-1 victory. PNC's lone run came when Jennifer Cassell hit Betsy Maher in with a single to right field in the fifth inning to tie the game at 1-1. Robert Morris scored an unearned run in the bottom of the seventh inning to get the victory.

Bethany Toyias took the loss for the Panthers despite giving up jjust one earned run in seven innings while allowing seven hits and striking out eight.

In game two, the Panthers had ten hits compared to Robert Morris' four but fell 2-0. Cassell led the way with three hits and Kate Golden added two hits, including a double for the Panthers. Unfortunately, PNC failed to get the clutch hit and left 11 runners on base.

This time Alyssa Whitaker took the loss after surrendering two runs (one earned) in the first inning. Golden came on and threw five shutout innings in relief, allowing just two hits with one strikeout.

The Panthers will be back in action tomorrow when they travel to Trinity International University in Deerfield, IL for a CCAC doubleheader at 3 p.m.

The Purdue North Central softball team lost a doubleheader to St. Xavier Tuesday afternoon at Patriot Park in Michigan City. The Panthers fell to 11-9 overall and 2-2 in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference while St. Xavier improved to 8-6 and 2-0.

A lack of offense was the culprit for both losses. In game one the Panthers were kept off the board and collected just two hits in the 3-0 defeat. Bethany Toyias took the loss for the Panthers, despite allowing just two earned runs in 5.1 innings while walking three and striking out three. Alissa Whitaker pitched 1.2 innings of scoreless relief.

In game two the Panthers fell 8-1 while collecting just six hits, two apiece by Erin foust and Katie Ebach. The Panthers scored their only run on a RBI single by Valorie Minyard in the sixth inning.

Xavier scored eight runs on 10 hits, including five runs in the 6th inning alone. The losing pitcher for the Panthers was Tracy Markwell who allowed all eight runs (five earned) in 5.2 innings. Whitaker added a scorless 1.1 innings in relief.

PNC will be back in action on Thursday when they travel to Robert Morris College in Chicago for a doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.

The Purdue North Central softball team swept a doubleheader from the University of St. Francis (IL) Sunday afternoon in Westville. The wins moved the Panthers to 11-7 overall and 2-0 in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference, while St. Francis dropped to 7-7 and 0-2.

In game one, the Panthers needed 10 innings to win 2-1. PNC took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning when Valorie Minyard drove in Betsy Maher with a two out hit. Maher had reached on a walk and advanced to second on a single by Stephanie Zaharias.

The Panthers held the lead until the 6th inning when the Saints tied the score on a lead-off triple and an RBI groundout.

The battle continued into the bottom of the tenth inning when Maher ripped a single past the second baseman to score pinch runner Katie Ebach. Ebach was running for Jenn Cassell who had reached on a leadoff walk. Ebach advanced to third on two groundouts before Maher's clutch hit.

The winning pitcher was Bethany Toyias. Toyias went the distance and allowed just five hits and three walks while striking out seven.

In game two, the Panthers solid defense and strong pitching was the difference again. Starting pitcher Tracy Markwell held the Saints to scoreless in five innings of work, allowing just three hits and three walks while punching out five.

Meanwhile, PNC got on the board with a run in the bottom of the third when Erin Foust singled in Markwell who had reached on a double.

St. Francis tied the game in the 7th on a double, sacrifice bunt and sacrifice fly. But PNC responded in the bottom of the 7th when Jessica Brannagan hit a single up the middle to score Markwell with the winning run. Markwell had reached on a single and advanced to second on a passed ball.

The winning pitcher was Alyssa Whitaker who allowed one run on three hits and a walk while striking out two in two innings of work.

The Panthers are back in action on Tuesday when they face St. Xavier University at home (Patriot Park, Michigan City) in another CCAC matchup. Game time is 3:00 pm.

Head coach Jeff Boardman has announced two changes to the 2007 softball schedule.

Today's games verses Concordia University of Ann Arbor, MI have been rescheduled for April 24th at 4 p.m. (e.t.).

The Panthers, currently 9-7 overall, have also rescheduled Aquinas College for April 10th at 3 p.m. at home. The games were rained out this past Wednesday.

The Purdue North Central softball team split with Marian College Sunday afternoon in Indianapolis, taking game one 4-2 and dropping the nightcap 4-0.

Game one started out with hits by Erin Foust and Jessica Brannagan. A sacrifice bunt from Valorie Minyard moved the runners into scoring position. A single by Alyssa Duncan scored the first run and a single by Jennifer Cassell scored Brannagan and Duncan as the Panthers took a 3-0 lead.

Marian responded immediately by scoring two runs in the bottom of the first to cut the lead to 3-2. The Panthers extended their lead in the third when Cassell hit a double down the left line bringing in Minyard, who had reached on a fielder's choice. Strong pitching from Bethany Toyias and good defense helped PNC hold Marian the rest of the way.

In game two Marian jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning and never looked back. A tough Marian defense limited the Panther offense to three hits. Marian helped their cause when they scored two runs in the fifth and one in the sixth. The Panthers were shut out for their first time this season.

The Panthers are now 9-7 overall while Marian moved to 1-1. PNC will be back in action Wednesday, March, 21st at home when they will host Aquinas College.

The Purdue North Central softball team swept a doubleheader from Franklin College Saturday afternoon in Franklin, IN.

Offense is a good word to use when describing game one which PNC won 15-1. The Panthers jumped on the Grizzlies in the first inning, batting around and scoring nine runs.

The first inning also saw Melissa Carson hit her third homerun of the season. Erin Weber also added a solo homer in the third, her first of her college career. PNC scored their 15 runs on 17 hits while junior Bethany Toyias held Franklin in check to pick up the win on the mound.

Game two saw more of the same as PNC won 8-5 and jumped out to an early lead. PNC, however, ran into a more determined Franklin team. After taking the lead 5-0 in the fifth, the Grizzlies rallied to tie the game 5-5 in the 7th and sent the game into extra innings.

But the Panthers scored three runs in the 8th to retake the lead and ice the game. The Panthers were led by Heaver Weaver with three hits and three RBI's. This time the winning pitcher was Alissa Whitaker.

The Panthers improve to 8-6 on the year while Franklin fell to 0-4. PNC will play Marion College tomorrow at 12:00 p.m. in Indianapolis to complete their weekend trip.

The Purdue University North Central softball team split against Taylor University Thursday afternoon in Westville.

In game one the Panthers won by the score of 7-2. PNC took a 1-0 lead after one inning of play following Jennifer Cassell's RBI single. The Panthers then proceeded to bat around in the second inning scoring 6 runs.

Taylor attempted to rally in the 5th scoring two runs, but the PNC defense was too much to overcome.

The winning pitcher was Bethany Toyias, with the save going to Kate Golden. Offensively, the team was lead by Valorie Minyard with three hits and two RBI's and Jennifer Cassell with two hits and three RBI's. The win moved PNC's record to 6-5 on the season.

Game two saw a tougher Taylor team. Taylor came out scoring one run in the first inning and getting the first three batters for PNC out. Taylor helped tie the ballgame in the third with a bases loaded walk to Alyssa Duncan.

But, Taylor quickly regained the lead in the 4th scoring two runs. PNC's Heather Weaver cut the lead to one when she knocked in pinch runner Katie Ebach in the 6th . Taylor responded in the 7th with three runs to increase the lead to 6-2.

The Panthers rallied to cut the lead to one at 6-5 but Taylor's defense held PNC to take the win. Kate Golden took the loss for the Panthers as PNC moved to 6-6 overall. The six wins already matches the win total for last season when the Panthers finished 6-34.

The Panthers will be on the road Saturday March 17th, at Franklin College at 12:00 pm and Sunday March 18, at Marion College 12:00 pm. Both dates are scheduled for doubleheaders.

The Purdue North Central Softball team finished 5-5 on their spring trip to Tuscon, Arizona. The Panthers started out slow at 2-5 rebounded to win their final three games to wrap up an impressive trip.

Saturday, March 3rd verses Hope International University (CA)

In an exciting start to the 2006-07 softball season, the Purdue University North Central softball team won their first game in extra innings over Hope International University 8-5.

Hope took an early lead, scoring a run in the second and the third. But PNC came back to take a 3-2 lead in the third inning. Over the next two innings the teams battled to a 5-5 tie. Purdue then closed the door in the 8th inning when Alyssa Duncan, Jenn Cassell, and Valorie Minyard scored runs for the final margin.

Bethany Toyias struck out the final two batters for Hope and earned the win, moving her record and the team's record to 1-0. The Panthers will play the College of Mary in game two of the Tuscon Invitational Tournament.

Saturday, March 3rd verses University of Mary (ND)

After a strong start to the game, the Panthers fell to the University of Mary 12-4 in their second game on Saturday.

The Panthers came out strong with runs scored by Jessica Brannigan, Erin Foust, and Alyssa Duncan but then went cold.

The tough University of Mary team came back scoring six runs in both the third and fifth inngs. The Panthers tried to mount a comeback in the fifth when Duncan scored the fourth run for the Panthers but the strong defense of the University of Mary was too much for the Panthers to overcome.

The Panthers move to 1-1 on the season and will play a triple header on March 4th against Jamestown College (ND), Dakota State (SD), and La Roche College (PA) starting at 8:30 a.m.

Sunday, March 4th verses Jamestown College (ND)

The Purdue North Central softball team had a tough start to their tripleheader day, dropping game one to Jamestown College 9-2.

Jamestown came out strong scoring three runs in the first and two in the second. The Panthers attempted a comeback in the third when Alyssa Duncan knocked in pinch runner Alyssa Whittaker and Ashley Watson scored on a wild pitch.

However, the Jamestown offense was too strong for the Panthers to overcome as they scored six more runs to end the game 9-2.

Sunday, March 4th verses Dakota State University (SD)

In a heartbreaker game, Purdue University North Central lost to Dakota State 4-1 in extra innings.

The game was scoreless until the top of the 8th inning when the Trojans hit a double to bring in the go ahead run. An error by catcher Jenn Cassell allowed the second run for Dakota State to score and the Tojans drove two more runs to take a 4-0 lead.

Attempting a comeback, the Panthers could only score one run by Erin Foust in the 8th. The game ended on a routine 6-3 play getting out Jessica Brannigan for the third out.

Head coach Jeff Boardman stated that the Panthers had sound pitching but they need to string a few things together and work on little things to make games like this go the Panthers way. The Panther now stand at 1-3 entering their third game of the day.

Sunday, March 4th verses La Roche College (PA)

After a tough defeat to Dakota State , the Panthers regrouped and refocused. Determined not to lose three games in a row, PNC took charge defeating La Roche College 8-2.

The offensive barrage began when Alyssa Duncan batted in Erin Foust in the first inning to put the Panthers in the lead 1-0. Melissa Carson doubled the score in the second with a solo homerun.

Overall, Duncan had three RBI's while Ashley Watson, Jenn Cassell, Valorie Minyard, and Erin Weber had one RBI each.

Defensively, PNC pitcher Bethany Toyias pitched a complete game and was backed up by great plays by the rest of the team. The defensive play of the game was the 2-3-4-3-4 pickle which involved catcher Val Minyard, first baseman Jenn Cassell, and second baseman Tracy Markwell for the third out in the fourth inning.

The Panthers improved to 2-3 on the season and will be back in action on March 6th with another triple- header after an offday tomorrow.

Tuesday, March 6th verses Jamestown College (ND)

The Panthers had a rematch with the Jimmies of Jamestown College. After losing to Jamestown 9-2 on Sunday, PNC did much better this time around with a solid defense but still fell 3-1

Jamestown committed three errors which kept the game close. The Panthers offense was limited but Alyssa Duncan continued her hitting streak and scored the lone PNC run. The Panthers, now 2-4 overall, will take on Peru State College in the second game of their split tripleheader.

Tuesday, March 6th verses Peru State (NE)

The Panthers faced a red hot Peru State in their second game on Tuesday at the Tucson Invitational. The Panthers were coming off a loss earlier that day to the Jamestown Jimmies and wanted to make a statement.

Unfortunately, Peru State pounded out 13 hits to PNC's five in the 11-3 defeat. Of the five hits by PNC, three runs were scored. Erin Foust, Valorie Minyard, and Kate Golden all drove runs in but it wasn't enough to overcome the enormous deficit.

The game ended in the 5th inning with the eight run rule in effect for the tournament. The loss dropped the Panthers to 2-5 overall.

Tuesday, March 6th verses University of Saint Mary (KS)

After two losses to start the day the Panthers were determined to rebound and take the evening game. verses the University of Saint Mary.

PNC came out on fire with Alyssa Duncan knocking in lead off hitter Erin Foust in the first inning. After a three up, three down bottom of the first, the Panthers went on a tear in the second, batting around for six more runs. PNC added two runs in the third and one in the fourth to make it 10-0 in the bottom of the 5th.
A powerful defense led by Bethany Toyias only allowed three hits to the University of Saint Mary.

Assistant Coach Denny King stated: "The team really got behind each other and backed each other up and that really made the difference. We were firing on all cylinders."

The Panthers improved to 3-5 on the year and will play a doubleheader after another off day on Wednesday. PNC will face Concordia University of Illinois and conclude their trip against Peru State.

Thursday, March 8th verses Concordia University (IL)

PNC continued their winning ways beating Concordia University 8-3.

The game was scoreless into the 5th inning until the top of PNC's order came up to bat. Erin Foust led off with single to short which was followed by a single to the left side by Alyssa Duncan which scored Foust.

Kate Golden followed with her first collegiate homerun brining in Jennifer Cassell and Duncan. The PNC team proceeded to bat around and essentially, put the game away.

Concordia scored two runs in the bottom of the 5th to keep the game going. But a strong Panther defense and a tough offense was too much to overcome.

The Panthers improved to 4-5 and will face Peru State for their final game of the trip.

Thursday, March 8th verses Peru State (NE)

After getting hammered by Peru State earlier on the trip, many thought that this would be cakewalk for Peru. Everyone except PNC.

" We didn't play like we are capable the first time," said Sophomore captain Jessica Brannigan about their last meeting. "We're red hot right now and we're looking forward to the rematch."

The Panthers batted around on Peru in the first inning, highlighted by Melissa Carson's first career grand slam putting the Panthers in the lead 6-1 after one inning of play.

Overall, Heather Weaver lead the way with three hits, while Alyssa Duncan, Carson and Jenn Cassell had two hits apiece.

The win concluded the trip for the Panthers. They will return home on Friday with a 5-5 record and a three game winning streak. PNC will return to action on March 14th when they host Taylor University at 3 p.m. in a scheduled doubleheader in their home opener.