PARSONS, Kan. – The Neosho Panthers were forced to settle for a split in their Jayhawk Conference opener. Neosho picked up their first win of the season in game one by a score of 4-1 but fell in extra innings 8-7 in game two.
                           
The Cardinals got on the scoreboard first with a run in the bottom of the first inning. After allowing a run in the first, Meaghan Thompson was outstanding in the circle as Labette could not push another run across.
 
The Panther offense finally came to life in the sixth inning when Taylor Bolden blasted a grand slam for her first career homerun to give the Panthers a 4-1 lead. Thompson shot the Cardinals down over the next two innings to earn her first win of the season.
 
Labette would again score first in game two as they jumped out to a 4-0 lead. The Panthers would begin to claw back and scored runs in the fourth, fifth, and seventh innings and lead 7-5 heading into the bottom of the seventh. The Cardinals would push two runs across in the bottom of the seventh to force extra innings. Both teams failed to score in the eighth inning, and the Panthers failed to push a run across in the ninth. Labette would walk off with an 8-7 win as they scored in the home half.
 
Meaghan Thompson was outstanding for the Panthers tossing 14 innings on the day while recording 11 strikeouts.
 
The Panthers will return home this weekend with four key Region VI games. Friday they host Cloud County for a pair of games beginning at 2pm and Saturday they will play Brown Mackie with first pitch coming at noon.