The Panthers swept their Monday evening doubleheader at College of DuPage against Milwaukee Area Technical College.

It was their first doubleheader sweep since mid-April against Kishwaukee College and the first game of the doubleheader was about clutch hitting and the ability to battle adversity.

Star pitcher Kennedi Meinecke went the distance and scattered 10 hits while allowing five runs with two strikeouts. However, she had quite the performance at the plate.

She helped her own cause by driving in two runs to go along with two hits, a walk, and three runs scored. Not every pitcher can hit quite like Meinecke, but she certainly showed off her skills.

"Meinecke came in with a good mindset and that is key at any level, it is a big thing. She didn't let one tough inning affect her overall performance and she battled. She understands to hit spots when ahead of hitters and when she does, she will rock,"head coach Aaron Moore said.

It was a six-run fourth inning that determined the ball game. The Panthers trailed 6-2 entering the bottom of the fourth, but the comeback kids put together one of their better innings of the year.

Heather Ward started off the inning with a sharp single to right. The next two batters resulted in a strikeout and reaching base on an error, which put Itza Gonzales at the dish and she delivered with her seventh home run of the season.

The three-run shot cut the deficit to one and certainly gave the squad the momentum they needed. The pop has been legit all year long for the Panther slugger.

"It was a huge shift in momentum and it was big, she has hit several no doubters for us. The home run swing is often a mental part," Moore stated.

The inning was far from over as Yareliz Vega drew a walk and had an impressive day with a double as well. After the one-out walk, Meinecke then drove Vega home with a base knock. 

After Paulina Viveros drew a six-pitch walk, Thais Miranda had an RBI groundout which brought Jacklyn Roney to the plate.

Roney came up clutch and kept the rally going and made the inning even more impressive with an RBI single of her own. Ward ended the inning with a groundout, but she was the one that started it all off with that leadoff single.

It was a tremendous performance and one that coach Moore certainly was impressed with the overall offensive output. 

"We put the ball in play that inning and all the good teams have low whiff rates. Give yourself a chance, taking advantage of the other team's weaknesses,'' Moore praised.

The Panthers didn't allow another run and won 10-6, setting them up with a chance for even more confidence and momentum in Game 2.

Heather Ward started and pitched well, but it was the collective team effort that Moore enjoyed seeing from his squad during their doubleheader sweep.

"Ward gave up only one or two hard hits and five bloopers. She threw great and has been when she locates her pitches. The same is said for Kennedi, location is key. We don't get a lot of strikeouts, so we have to locate and continue to make plays on defense," Moore preached.

In Game 2, it was the third inning that proved to be the difference. After allowing a run in the top half of the third inning and leading 2-1, Morton put on a clinic and drew some separation.

We saw consecutive triples by Miranda and Roney, but Ward then followed up with an RBI single and the hitting fiesta had only just started.

The Panthers put together seven straight hits, which led to five runs and included everything in the inning but a home run.

A pair of triples and four singles did Milwaukee Area Tech in during that vaunted third inning. Ailany Reyes has been getting on base with consistency down the stretch of the season and she chipped in with an RBI single and a run scored during the inning.

Yeliann Torrado Rodriguez and Vega also chipped in with crucial hits that either drove runners in or advanced them to allow their teammates to find even more success.

The gloves were shown as well during the doubleheader sweep. Both Natalie Mendoza-Sanchez and Kiana Roman both made a few snags on deep drives in the outfield with wind gusts making for a few adventures on what would normally be routine fly balls.

Gonzales added a double on a drive to left where the wind played tricks with Milwaukee Area Tech. Gonzales combined for three hits on the evening and seemingly all of them were huge. Ward closed it out and finished strong by not allowing any runs in the final two innings.

The 11-4 victory gave them their third sweep of the season and the momentum needed with only a few more scheduled games left in the season.

"We took advantage of mistakes, which has been something we haven't been able to do as much as we'd like to this season. The biggest difference was putting the ball in play and we gave ourselves a chance," Moore said.

Next up for the Panthers will be a doubleheader inside the dome at Rosemont on Tuesday (3:00 pm) against Highland Community College before a scheduled doubleheader on Thursday (3:00 pm start) against Joliet Junior College. 

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