OWENSBORO, Kentucky - After a tough day in Nashville on Friday, the Lake Erie Storm softball team had one last chance to get back on track as they met with the Kentucky Wesleyan Panthers in Owensboro, Kentucky for their final doubleheader of the regular season. The Storm played well enough to earn a split with the Panthers. Kentucky Wesleyan took Game 1 3-2, but the Storm surged back in the second contest to win 7-2. The games played out as follows:

Kentucky Wesleyan 3, Lake Erie 2

In Game 1, the Storm fell behind initially as the Panthers jumped on an early 1-0 in the first inning. Lake Erie got back into it, however, when a Cheyenne Hamel sacrifice fly allowed Jordyn Long to come around to tie the game at 1-1. In the 5th, Payton Brownlee was able to score to Lake Erie the lead when she advanced home on a CJ Garcia ground out. Unfortunately, the Panthers would take the game back with a double in the 6th, and that would be enough to firmly give Game 1 to the Panthers by a score of 3-2. Despite the loss, Grace Hammer got the start and pitched the complete game for the Storm and recorded 8 strikeouts.

Lake Erie 7, Kentucky Wesleyan 3

In Game 2, the Storm had their final chance to get into the win column for the 2022 campaign, and they made the most of it. Chloe Allen got the Storm started in the first inning when she reached home on a Rachel Varga groundout. After the Panthers knotted it back up in the bottom of the 1st, the Storm bats came alive in the second. Dani Soria brought in 2 RBIs with a single in the 2nd inning as she brought in Adrianna Sluga and Jasmine Gonzales. Rachel Varga would follow that up with an RBI single, and a Panther error would allow her to advance to second as Chloe Allen and CJ Garcia came around to put the Storm up 6-1. The final Storm run would then come in the 6th due to some slick base running from Jordyn Long as she stole third and advanced home on another Panther error. In the pitcher's circle, it was a group effort from Emma Spahr and Bridget Mullholand to get the regular season concluding win for the Storm.

Although it has been a much improved season for head coach McKenna Garlock's squad, they were unable to secure a spot for the Great Midwest Athletic Conference Softball Championship. However, they will be poised to continue their development and make further strides in the spring of 2023.