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By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

PELHAM – The Pelham Panthers have now won back-to-back games as they followed up their win over Silverdale with a commanding victory over Mountain Brook.

Pelham defeated the Mountain Brook Spartans 13-3 in six innings on Monday, March 17 at Pelham High School.

In a St. Patrick’s Day matchup of two teams that proudly rep the color green, the Spartans got the upper hand early after a lead-off error gave way to a two-out, two-run home run.

Pelham quickly erased that 3-0 deficit in the bottom half of the inning. After a lead-off walk from Laini Stewart, Jordan Young came up with a one-out RBI double ahead of a game-tying RBI single from Emery Plunkett.

The Panthers burst the game wide open in the bottom of the second as a dropped third strike and an error put two on for Stewart to do some damage.

She hit a bunt in an attempt to move both runners into scoring position, but not only did she reach first, she and each of the runners came home on the throw to put Pelham up 5-2.

The Panthers weren’t done as they drew two walks over the next three batters. That set up Briley Easton to hit an RBI single for the 6-2 lead.

The hosts were reduced to two outs on the next at-bat, but after a passed ball advanced both runners to scoring position, Sierra Crenshaw brought them both home with an RBI single to give Pelham an 8-2 lead after two innings.

The Panthers went right back to work in the bottom of the third as singles from Rebecca Roy and Taylor Howard along with another Stewart walk loaded up the bases on the first three batters of the frame.

Young and Plunkett would clear the bases on the next two at-bats as Young got a two-run double before Plunkett ripped an RBI single to right, increasing the lead to 12-2 in the process.

Needing a run to keep the game alive, Mountain Brook couldn’t score in the second, third or fourth innings but got a run off a passed ball with two outs in the top of the fifth to trim the deficit to nine at the last possible second.

However, Stewart finished the job in the bottom of the sixth with a two-out RBI double to take the 13-3 win.

Stewart led Pelham with four RBI and three runs while going 2-for-3 at the plate with two walks. Young and Plunkett also had three RBI apiece as Young was 2-for-4 with two runs while Plunkett finished 2-for-2 with a walk and a run as well.

Crenshaw finished with two RBI, Easton was 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run and Roy went 2-for-4 with a run.

The 4-8 Panthers will play against the Calera Eagles in their next game on Wednesday, March 19 at 4:30 p.m. at the Eagle Sports Complex.