Seward Sweeps Pratt

Coming off of a 4-0 weekend to start their 2014 campaign, the Seward County Lady Saints decided that they would continue their onslaught as they returned to the Sunflower State as Tuesday in Pratt, Seward hammered the Pratt Lady Beavers 11-2 and 13-2 in a double header to move to 6-0 on the year.

In the opener Seward got going right off the bat. The Lady Saints got four straight singles to start the game including an RBI single by Pokey Ewell to drive home Marissa Chavez to take an early 1-0 lead. Seward had a chance to tack on a couple more runs with the bases loaded and nobody out, but a fly out and a line drive double play ended the inning and kept it a 1-0 game.

Seward had another opportunity to add to their lead in the 2nd as Vanessa Oakden continued her hot hitting with a double to start the inning, but she was never able to advance past second and it remained 1-0 in favor of the Lady Saints after 2.

Lady Saints starter Katelyn Craker had Pratt off balance all day and kept the Beavers off the board through four innings of play.

In the top half of the 5th Seward broke their silence, getting a leadoff double from Chavez and another RBI single from Ewell to make it 2-0. That’s when Becky Allen got into the mix, ripping an RBI double of her own to bring Ewell around to score to put the Lady Saints up 3-0.

Pratt got their first run of the game in the bottom of the 5th, putting together two straight hits to score a run to make it 3-1, but Craker stranded two runners at innings end to keep the score right there at 3-1.

There was nothing doing for either side in the 6th and the game rapidly moved to the 7th with the score still Seward 3 and Pratt 1.

Chavez got her third hit to start an inning in the game in the 7th and scored quickly on an RBI knock from Andrea Sitter to make it 4-1. Sitter then scored on Ewell’s third RBI hit of the game and Ewell came around as Allen picked her up once again to open the lead to 6-1. After a single from Felisha Vogelaar, Danielle Orr launched a 3-1 pitch over the wall for a three run home run to push the Lady Saints lead to 9-1. After two more singles, the Lady Saints got a sac fly from Chavez and an RBI single from pinch hitter Tiari Walker to stretch their lead to 11-1 after the dust settled.

Pratt got one run back in the bottom of the 7th before Craker closed it out in an 11-2 win for the Lady Saints.

Seward outhit Pratt 18-6 in the win. Allen and Ewell each had 3 hits and 2 RBI’s in the win while Chavez was 3 for 3 with 3 runs scored at the top of the Seward order. Craker earned the win, going the distance allowing 6 hits and 2 runs while striking out 7.

SEWARD COUNTY/PRATT GAME ONE BOX SCORE<http://www.sewardsaints.com/sports/sball/2013-14/files/SewardPratt1.pdf>

The Lady Saints wasted no time in getting on the board in game two. Chavez once again was the catalyst at the top of the order, singling to start the game and Ewell once again drove her in with a single to make it 1-0. Later in the inning a big Beaver error pushed two more Seward runs home and after Brittany Hopkins dealt a 1-2-3 bottom of the 1st, the Lady Saints lead 3-0 after one.

The top of the 2nd didn’t have a lot of promise for the Lady Saints as their first two hitters were retired on just two pitches but another Pratt error extended the inning and Sitter blasted her first career home run on the first pitch she saw to make the error sting for the Beavers, plating two runs to make it 5-0.

Pratt threatened to score their first runs of the second game in the bottom of the 2nd, loading the bases with two outs, but Hopkins got a strikeout to end the threat and keep the Lady Saints in front 5-0.

Again in the top of the 3rd, Seward didn’t look like they had anything going as they had two outs on the board in a matter of four pitches. But, like they did in the 2nd, they kept fighting with two outs and this time it paid off in a big way. Three straight free passes loaded the bases and an RBI single from Tiffanie Bolanos scored a run to make it 6-0. Three pitches later Chavez was not the table setter, but the power cleaning off the table, blasting a grand slam into the night to put Seward on top 10-0. They weren’t done there. Sitter doubled and Ewell singled before Allen singled to push another run across. Vogelaar followed suit with an RBI single of her own to make it 12-0 Lady Saints. A Pratt error allowed another run to score and after 11 straight Lady Saints reached safely, the inning was finally over with the score 13-0 in favor of Seward.

Pratt scored twice in the bottom half of the 5th inning, but it was far too little too late as the run rule kicked in and the Lady Saints picked up the win 13-2.

The top third of the Seward lineup was electric in the win. Chavez, Sitter, and Ewell combined to go 9 for 12 with 7 RBI’s and 8 runs scored, each going 3 for 4 for the Lady Saints. Hopkins pitched 4 scoreless innings, allowing 3 hits, all singles, while striking out 2 to earn the win.

SEWARD COUNTYPRATT GAME TWO BOX SCORE<http://www.sewardsaints.com/sports/sball/2013-14/files/SewardPratt2.pdf>

The Lady Saints improve to 6-0 on the year, marking their best start since the 2010 season when they won the Jayhawk West and the Region VI Championships en route to a top 10 finish at the NJCAA National Tournament. Pratt falls to 0-4 on the year as they are swept for the second straight time by Jayhawk West foes.

Seward hits the diamond again on Wednesday in their 2014 home opener as they host Frank Phillips at Lady Saints Field in Liberal. Seward and Frank will get underway at 2:00 with game two of the double header scheduled for 4:00.

Roy Allen