Ole Brook’s Lady Panthers overpowered the Mendenhall Lady TigersTuesday night in a fastpitch softball twinbill at the Hansel KingSportsplex. Directed by Ashley Sykes who slugged four home runs,the Lady Panthers whipped Mendenhall 12-0 and 14-2 in Division 6-4Aplay.

Sykes, a junior pitcher, also picked up two mound victories asthe Lady Panthers raised their record to 8-4 overall and 2-2 in thedivision race.

“It feels good to get two division wins,” said Ole Brook coachLisa Covington. She had watched her team absorb division losses toWest Jones and Lawrence County earlier in the season.

“We were able to get a lot of folks some playing time,”Covington pointed out. Mendenhall, winless this season, was nomatch for Ole Brook’s reserves. In the second game, relief pitcherTerri Hodges worked her way out of a bases-loaded jam by strikingout 3 straight Lady Tigers to end the game in 4 innings.

Brookhaven 14, Mendenhall 2

Sykes started on the mound in the second game and allowed afirst-inning run. Jessica Hartwig scored on an error at first basefor a brief 1-0 Mendenhall lead.

Sykes didn’t allow a hit after a first-inning single byChristina Morgan. She struck out 4 batters and hit 1.

“I wanted to save Ashley for Thursday when we play South Jones,”explained Covington. “That’s going to be a big one for us becausethey are leading our division.”

Ole Brook gained a 1-1 deadlock when Megan Tussey scored on asacrifice fly by Sykes. The Lady Panthers took a 2-1 lead whenBrittany Smith scored on an RBI double by Taylor Crane. They led3-1 on Kelly Vinson’s RBI single to left.

In the second inning, Ole Brook greeted Mendenhall pitcherVictoria Jenkins with an 8-run explosion which put the hosts up11-1. Sykes smashed a 2-run homer to the left-center field fencefor a 7-1 lead.

Ole Brook sent 15 batters to the plate and the Lady Tigerscommitted 4 errors in the second.

In the third, Sykes smacked a leadoff homer for a 12-1advantage. Hodges doubled home the 13th run and scored the 14th onan error.

Brookhaven 12, Mendenhall 0

Sykes smashed 2 homers and a double in the shutout victory. Onthe mound, she struck out 5 batters.

Hodges and Langston singled for Brookhaven.

Jenkins fanned 1 batter and walked 4 in a losing cause.