Andrew Grimm STRONG PERFORMANCE — Buckeye Local pitcher Karlie Lander delivers a pitch against Brooke on Friday. Lander struck out seven and did not walk a batter in tossing a complete game shutout in a 1-0 Panthers win over the Bruins.

Despite some well-hit balls and chances to get more, one run is all the Buckeye Local softball team got on Friday against Brooke.

However, with junior ace Karlie Lander dealing in the circle, one is all the Panthers would need.

Lancer struck out seven, did not issue a walk and tossed a complete game, five-hit shutout of the Bruins as the Panthers edged out a 1-0 win.

“That was a much-needed win,” veteran Buckeye Local head coach Joe Soos said. “Our players needed that after the last two weeks. They had a trip abroad, have come back and battled hard in practice. They hit the ball hard today, Brooke made a lot of good plays in the field, but it was good to see a lot of hard-hit balls.

Andrew Grimm MAKING CONTACT — Brooke's Marionna Dipaolo gets her bat on the ball during Friday's game against Buckeye Local.

“Karlie did an outstanding job and we made a couple nice plays ourselves. Brooke is a nice team, they’re well-coached and they made some nice plays. We’re happy to get this win.”

Buckeye Local (3-4) got its run in the top of the first inning on an error, and it proved to be the only time a runner would cross home plate in the game.

Lander had started the inning with a leadoff single and the curtesy runner for her is who ended up scoring when, after a sac bunt and passed ball put her on third, Danika Bauknecht put a fly ball into the outfield and it was dropped, plating the run.

For Brooke (5-8), it was a tough pill to swallow. The only run they gave up was unearned and Bruins pitcher Eden McKinney was equally strong to give her team a chance to stay one swing away from tying things, striking out two without issuing a walk and also only allowing five hits.

The Bruins got the first two on in the bottom of the fourth, stranded a runner in the fifth, and got the lead off batter on in the seventh, but again left them on base.

“It’s tough, the first inning came back to bite us,” Brooke head coach Tom Diserio said. “We made a mistake and gave up a run we shouldn’t have and it ends up being the only run. When you’re in a game where two pitchers are on, one mistake can be the difference.

“Other than that, defensively we played well and Eden pitched lights out. She hit all of her spots and threw everything we were calling well. We can’t ask for anything more than that from her.

“Like we just told the girls, there’s three parts to the game and doing two of the three well aren’t going to get the job done. We have to have better at-bats, we have to hit with a purpose and we’re going to work on that. Their pitcher did a good job, she was hitting all of her marks and we just weren’t putting the ball in play enough. We popped up a lot in the infield and when we had a couple hard hits, we didn’t string them together.”

Frankie Sawko had the only extra base hit in the game, a double, as the other nine were all singles.

UP NEXT

Buckeye Local: Was slated for a double header at East Liverpool on Saturday before a rematch with the Bruins at home on Monday.

Brooke: Was set for a makeup game against Harrison Central Saturday before traveling to Buckeye Local Monday.