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By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

PELHAM – The Pelham Panthers finished off the regular season on a big note as they surged back from an early deficit to earn a victory over the Homewood Patriots.

Pelham defeated Homewood 9-1 on Tuesday, April 22 at Pelham High School thanks to nine unanswered runs at the plate.

After a scoreless first inning for both teams, the Patriots got in business in the top of the second with two singles and a walk to load up the bases with two outs. From there, Homewood just got a runner past the play at the plate for the 1-0 lead.

Pelham couldn’t capitalize off a pair of walks in the bottom of the second, but it made up for that with a big third inning that saw the hosts take the lead.

After Jordan Young stole second following a one-out single, Emery Plunkett put a line drive into center field that led to an error. The play left her on third and Young back in the dugout as the tying run.

Reese Jones followed it up with an RBI single on the next play, also a line drive to center, that brought Plunkett home and put the Panthers up 2-1.

After getting out of a two-on jam in the top of the fourth, Chloe Carter and Bella Lee singled to start the bottom of the fourth, getting Pelham into a similar situation. Carter would be caught stealing home two batters later, but back-to-back RBI doubles from Taylor Howard and Young took the lead to 4-1.

The Panthers worked three quick fly outs in the top of the fifth before generating some big offense in the home half of the inning. After a Homewood pitching change to start the inning, a Jones single, an error during Briley Easton’s grounder and a Rebecca Roy bunt loaded up the bases.

Carter kept the momentum rolling with an RBI double that plated two runs for the 6-1 lead. Ryann Jones walked to load up the bases with no outs, and Laini Stewart used that cushion to make it a 7-1 game off a sacrifice fly.

While the next batter grounded out, Carter soon came home off a passed ball ahead of an RBI single by Young. The latter play capped off the scoring as Pelham led by a score of 9-1.

That didn’t mean the drama was finished. The Patriots put two on with one out in the top of the seventh thanks to a single and a walk, and both runners advanced to scoring position off a passed ball. However, Ryann Jones finished off the job with the last two outs in the circle to seal the win.

Young led the offense with a 3-for-3 day with a walk, two RBI and a run. Reese Jones finished 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run and Carter was 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run.

In the circle, Young took the win with four innings of one-run ball against three hits and two walks. Ryann Jones then came in for the final three innings and allowed no runs against just one hit and a walk.

The Panthers finished the regular season 14-15 overall. They will now play in the first round of the Class 6A, Area 7 tournament against the Helena Huskies on Friday, April 25 at 11 a.m. at Helena High School.