PANTHERS KNOCK OFF DEFENDING CHAMP DOLPHINS

By Cole Kim

It took a quick seven innings on Saturday evening for the GHS Panthers to up-end the Southern Dolphins 7-4 at the JFK field.

The first inning only gave the audience the thrill of a single run: an RBI from Martinez, who batted in Torres, who was previously hit by a pitch in the very first pitch of the game by star pitcher Abby Mravlja. This made the score 1-0, Dolphins leading.

The Panthers didn’t answer back with a run of their own in the bottom half of the inning, only a single was hit.

When the Dolphins took bat again in the second inning, Mravlja and her defense didn’t allow a hit, it was a one two three inning for the Panthers.

This defensive stop helped GHS when they returned to the field for batting as The Lady Panthers gained a one point advantage this time around. The first Panther run came off of an RBI triple from Saphira Abrahamson, which gave Kyra Castro the go-ahead run. The second run came in from a sacrifice grounder from Gabby Kranz, giving an opportunity to Abrahamson. The Panthers took the game 2-1.

In the top of the third inning, Southern answered with another run. This was caused by an RBI single hit by Naputi, batting in Lujan. This tied things up at a 2-2 score.

The Dolphins didn’t allow any runs in the third inning, keeping it tied.

The Southern Dolphins retook the game in the top of the fourth inning, after getting a single run from a stolen home plate after a wild pitch. This made our score 3-2 before the Panthers took the offense.

The Panthers wouldn’t let the Dolphins have this ballgame, however. They tied things up again by getting repeatedly walked, until Kyra Castro got a go ahead run. The score was now 3-3.

The GHS defense showed no mercy in the fifth inning, letting nothing get passed them.

This was when the Panthers took the game and ran away with it. The team scored three more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. The first run scored in this inning was produced by Kyra Castro, who hit an RBI single. The other two runs came in when Amari Lashier and Kyra stole home plate. The score after this offensive damage was 6-3, Panthers looking dominant over the Dolphins.

The next run came in the bottom of the sixth, after Hawkes took home. This stretched the score to 7-3.

One more run was scored by Southern in the top of the seventh.

“We played by heart,” Said pitcher Abby Mravlja, “The girls had my back and I appreciate them for that.”

The Panthers will move on after this 7-4 win.