Parkway pounds way to share of MAC crown

ROCKFORD - Queen's "We Are the Champions" blared over the loud speakers in Rockford at the conclusion of Monday's game.

After three years of falling inches short of a Midwest Athletic Conference title, Parkway coach Mark Essenstein and his bunch were thrilled to finally be champions.

The Panthers hit three home runs and totaled six extra bases hits, defeating Coldwater, 11-7, in a slugfest to earn a three-way split for the MAC championship with New Bremen and Versailles.

"It's an awesome feeling to win a MAC title," Esselstein said. "The last three years, we've come so close. We've had one loss each of the past three years, and each time that one loss was to a team that went undefeated. ... Generally, it was one pitch or one play in each of those three years. We really made it a priority this year to go out and win the MAC."

A back-and-forth battle early, Parkway used a six-run fourth inning to get some cushion and held on down the stretch.

Coldwater took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Lexi Meyer's leadoff double set the table for Danielle Welsch, who drove in Meyer with a ground out.

Then home run derby ensued.

Mackenzie Sipe got on board the bases for Parkway with a single in the home first. Alyx Slusher cleared the bases with a two-run shot over the center field fence to make it 2-1.

Coldwater regained the lead in the third. After Maura Hoying connected on a one-out single, Welsch followed with a two-run dinger to dead center. Olivia Harlamert got aboard with a single and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Abbey Bruggeman, making the score 4-2.

In the bottom of the fourth, a two-run single by Alisa Gray tied the score at 4-all. Shortly after, Bailey Bates sent a three-run homer to left-center. Later in the inning, Haley Hawk singled home Sipe, who had hit a double, to put Parkway in front 8-4.

Coldwater got a run back in the fifth. Hoying, who finished 3-for-4, hit another single and Harlamert picked up an RBI with a groundout to third.

In the bottom of the fifth, though, Parkway added to its lead. Miller slammed a one-out triple off the fence in center for her third hit of the night. Bates notched her fourth RBI with a single. Slusher added an RBI double in the inning and then Selena Burtch cranked a solo homer to open the sixth for Parkway's final run.

Coldwater had a chance to pull close in the sixth, loading the bases with one out. But relief pitcher Hawk forced a grounder to third baseman Strickler, who fired home to Alisa Gray for the force. Gray threw back down to Slusher covering third for an inning-ending 5-2-6 double play.

"The biggest play of the day was that double play," Esselstein said. "They had the meat of their lineup coming up. That was just a heads up play by Alisa to go to three with that."

Leanne Klenke and Bruns had RBI singles in the top of the seventh to pull the Cavs within four runs. Meyer stepped to the plate representing the tying runner, but Hawk forced her into a deep flyout to right field to end the game.

"Coldwater really made us earn it," Esselstein said. "They really hit the ball well."

"I told the girls from the get-go, we're playing for pride," Coldwater coach Katie Berno said. "We had nothing to play for. We're done in tournament. We had no chance (to win) the MAC. I told them to come and play hard and play for pride, and I thought they definitely did that. They played a great game. They hit the ball really well tonight."

Coldwater finished with 14 hits, led by Hoying's three. Danielle Welsch went 2-for-4 with a team-high three RBIs, Bruggeman and Bruns also added two hits apiece.

Parkway collectively went 15-for-34 at the plate. Miller and Hawk both had three hits, Bates, Sipe and Slusher all had two. Burtch was the winning pitcher. She went four innings and allowed six hits before giving way to Hawk in the fifth.

"Mark's a phenomenal coach. He always comes out with a good team," said Berno, who played against Esselstein's teams during her playing career at Coldwater. "Parkway's always going to be at the top of the MAC as long as he's coaching - there's no doubt in my mind about that. He does a good job year in year out."

Esselstein and his Panthers claimed their 12th MAC title in program history. Parkway will now turn its attention to Wednesday's Division IV district semifinal, where they will face Marion Local at Wapakoneta High School.