Sue Sitter/PCT Rugby Panthers’ Haylee Jundt smacks a triple against the Bottineau Stars at the Bottineau Softball Jamboree, April 28.

The Rugby Panthers had an even win-loss record for softball after two games at the Bottineau Softball Jamboree, held at Tommy Turtle Park in Bottineau on April 28.

The Panthers’ record stood at 1-1 before late spring snowstorms put their season on hold.

“With the season being the way it is, we have to get games in before the 19th,” Panthers Head Coach Miriah Yoder said. “Trying to do things like this really helps to get the games in. So, we’re just trying to do what we can while the fields are ready.”

Enthusiastic Panthers’ and Bottineau Stars’ fans, some wrapped in blankets, filled the bleachers on the main diamond at Tommy Turtle Park for the April 28 jamboree.

When the Stars took their turn at bat as the visiting team, they scored nine runs.

When the Panthers stepped up to the plate, Saige Connot’s single denied the Stars a no-hitter and gave Panthers’ hope it could catch up. Marianne Kraft would bat Connot home, denying the Stars a shutout.

When the Panthers took the field again, players put their defense in motion. Third base player Brooke Anderson leaped after a ball hit right to her by Camryn Tweed, twisting in midair as she caught it. Anderson landed awkwardly, laughing. Anderson would make several catches during the game to hold the Stars’ offense back.

One hit by the Stars’ Drew Marsden would lead to another run for them. When the Panthers went to bat, a double by Haylee Jundt seemed promising after two others struck out, but the inning ended with Jundt stranded.

Halle Gullet crossed home plate on a wild pitch for the Stars in the next inning. Then, Joran Jundt batted in two runs for the Panthers.

Rugby held Bottineau to an 11-3 lead in the fourth inning before a triple by Haylee Jundt became a run on a RBI by Megan Schmaltz.

The Stars answered with three more runs by Camryn and Delani Tweed, and Emma Rybchinski.

Bottineau won the game 14-4 in five innings, complying with the league rule ending games with more than 10 run differences after five innings.

The five-inning rule favored the Panthers in their next game, when they defeated the Divide County Maroons 18-2.

Rugby scored two runs in the first two innings before a triple by Shyanne Ballew led to a run on a Rugby error. The Panthers opened up their lead next, with Connot batting in two, then Kraft batting in two.

The Panthers’ defense held the Maroons to two runs while gaining ground with two more RBIs by Kraft, one by Joran Jundt and two by Haylee Jundt.

Kraft batted two more in for the Panthers in the fifth inning. Next, Allie Graner batted Kraft and Joran Jundt in. Haylee Jundt batted in another. Hager followed with an RBI of her own before Haylee Jundt took advantage of a Maroons pitching error to slide home for Rugby’s final run of the game.

The Panthers’ 18-2 win gave the team a 2-2 season record.

On May 3, the Panthers fit two more games in their shortened schedule, this time at the South Hill Softball Diamonds in Minot. Volunteers in Minot had shoveled away snow from the artificial turf fields late in April so class A and B high school teams and college teams could use them.

“We want to get as many as our sub region games as we can so when it comes time for the regional tournament, we’re ready,” Yoder said.

In Minot, the Panthers boosted their record to 4 wins and 2 losses after defeating Tioga 14-4, then Stanley 30-1. The team stayed on its busy, short schedule, playing its first home game against Ray High School at the Rugby Softball Diamonds on May 6. Results from that game will appear in the May 14 edition.