EVANSVILLE, Ind. - The Davenport University softball team (3-5) rounded out its play at the Midwest Region Crossover on Saturday afternoon at Deaconess Sports Park. The Panthers dropped both games, however, with scores of 4-3 (8 inn.) against Trevecca Nazarene and 8-4 in the rematch with Kentucky Wesleyan. Next up, Davenport will be at Cedarville next Saturday (12 p.m. DH) and Sunday (2 p.m. DH).

Against the Trojans, the Panthers struck first when Rylie Kalina hit a two-run homerun in the bottom of the first inning that also scored Gabby Palazzolo. After not hitting a homer in any of her first 81 career games, Kalina has gone deep in each of her last two outings. Trevecca Nazarene responded, though, with two runs in the fourth and another in the sixth to take a 3-2 lead into the home half of the sixth. There, Rachel Griffin hit a two-out solo shot that knotted things up at 3-3. However, the Trojans scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch in the top of the eighth before the Panthers went down in order to finish it.

In the circle, Ellie Muilenburg (2-2) suffered the loss after pitching all eight innings with four runs given up, three earned, on seven hits to go with three walks and six strikeouts.

In the nightcap, Davenport was the first to score again and did so in the top of the second when Lindsay Goodman homered and Addison Binney scored Mariah Cura with a groundout to the pitcher. Kentucky Wesleyan then answered with one run in the third and five in the fourth to go ahead by four, 6-2. In the fifth, Jorden Urban doubled in Binney and in the sixth, Palazzolo singled in Sarah Kopp to make it a two-run game, 6-4. Kentucky Wesleyan added a pair of insurance runs, though, with an RBI double and an RBI single.

Taylor Simon (0-1) threw three and two-thirds frames with six runs surrendered, five earned, on seven hits, one free pass, and a punchout. In relief, Emma Miller handled the final two and a third innings with two earned runs on four hits, no walks and six strikeouts.

Story by: Cooper Weidenthaler