Seward sophomore Kristyna Garcia blasted a pair of grand slams Friday afternoon in the Midland College Classic in Texas, leading the Lady Saints to a 16-7 win over El Paso and 7-0 win over Vernon, while Seward dropped the middle game of their busy day 5-1 to Howard to finish the day 2-1.
In game one, El Paso took an early 2-0 lead on the Lady Saints, but Seward stormed back getting 3rd inning home runs from Maycee Koontz and Sydney Epp to put them in front 4-2. They didn’t stop there, getting two more on a Tejana error and their seventh run of the inning on an RBI single from Lexi Manyik before finishing up a 10 run frame on another El Paso error to take a 10-2 lead after three.
El Paso cracked a two run home run in the 4th to make it a 10-4 game and the Lady Saints were right back at it in the bottom of the frame, scoring seven more times, highlighted by a grand slam from Kristyna Garcia to take a 17-4 lead.
The Tejanas got two in the top of the 5th, but it was three less than they needed as the game was halted with the run rule going into effect in a 17-6 Lady Saints win.
Seward needed just 10 hits for their 17 runs in the win, using 8 walks and a bevy of El Paso errors to seed victory. Garcia finished 2 for 3 with the 4 RBI’s on the grand slam while Koontz was 2 for 3 with 2 RBI’s and 3 runs scored at the top of the Seward order. Monique Ashley earned the win in the circle despite her shakiest outing of the season as she allowed 6 hits, three of those leaving the park, and 6 runs in the 5 inning complete game while striking out 6 to improve to 3-0 on the year.
SEWARD COUNTY/EL PASO BOX SCORE<http://www.sewardsaints.com/sports/sball/2016-17/boxscores/20170210_14e4.xml>
In game two, the Lady Saints took on the Hawks of Howard.
The Hawks grabbed an early 2-0 lead in the 1st inning with a pair of tallies, but Seward cut the advantage in half on an RBI single from Garcia in the 3rd to make it 2-1.
Seward starter Macy Pritchard kept the Lady Saints right there through four, but Seward couldn’t getting anything going on offense as it remained a 2-1 game.
Howard opened up their lead in the bottom of the 4th, getting back to back one out singles to score three runs and make it a 5-1 game.
The Lady Saints never threatened again as they managed just one baserunner in the final three innings as Howard finished off the 5-1 win.
Seward managed just 4 hits in the loss while Garcia had the only RBI. Pritchard took the loss, going the distance while allowing 7 hits and 5 runs to fall to 0-2 on the year.
SEWARD COUNTY/HOWARD BOX SCORE<http://www.sewardsaints.com/sports/sball/2016-17/boxscores/20170210_14e4.xml>
In the final game of a busy day, Seward took on Vernon. The Lady Saints got on the board first, taking advantage of a Chaparral error in the 2nd to go ahead 1-0.
Lady Saints starter Ruby Gonzalez worked a quick 1-2-3 top half of the 3rd and worked around some trouble in the top of the 4th to keep it a 1-0 game in favor of Seward.
Taylor Kathler added to the Seward lead with an RBI single in the bottom of the inning and Epp popped her second long ball of the day in the 5th to make it a 3-0 game.
Gonzalez remained in control, keeping Vernon off the board through six and in the bottom of the Seward 6th, Garcia blasted her second grand slam of the day, giving the Lady Saints some breathing room as they went ahead 7-0.
That was more than enough for Gonzalez who allowed just an infield single in the 7th to wrap up her shutout and give the Lady Saints a 7-0 win.
Seward only outhit Vernon 10-8 in the contest, getting three hits from Kathler and two from Jullian Atteberry in the win. Garcia’s only hit was the big one, a grand slam, to finish with 4 RBI’s. Gonzalez was sharp in the circle, tossing a complete game shutout for the Lady Saints, scattering 8 hits and a walk while striking out 3.
SEWARD COUNTY/VERNON BOX SCORE<http://www.sewardsaints.com/sports/sball/2016-17/boxscores/20170210_24ru.xml>
Saturday
The Seward County Lady Saints banged out 29 hits and 21 runs in a split doubleheader Saturday afternoon in Midland, Texas, dropping a 16-11 decision to Odessa before bouncing back for a 10-7 win over Luna to wrap up their weekend in the Lone Star State.
In their first game of the day, the Lady Saints took on Odessa in a rematch of a 2009 NJCAA National Tournament thriller.
The Wranglers got on the board right away in the top half of the 1st, plating a run to take an early 1-0 lead.
The Lady Saints answered right back, getting an RBI double from Jullian Atteberry, an RBI groundout from Kaitlin Ammermann, and an RBI single from Sage Harrison to take a 3-1 lead after one.
The scoring fest continued as Odessa tied the score with a pair of runs in the top half of the 2nd, but Seward came out swinging in the bottom half again, getting an RBI single from Maycee Koontz and a three run home run from Kristyna Garcia, her third of the weekend, to put the Lady Saints back up 7-3.
Odessa cranked a homer to lead off the 3rd and Seward got long balls from AJ Cuellar and Lexi Manyik to answer back to push their lead to 9-4.
Neither team scored in the 4th, but the bats were swinging again in the 5th as Odessa scored five times, erasing the Lady Saints’ lead and tying the game at 9.
It remained a 9-9 game to the bottom of the 6th when Atteberry lifted off on a go ahead two run home run, putting Seward back in front 11-9.
Down to their final three outs in the game, Odessa got back to within one with a one out single, but Seward pitcher Monique Ashley set down the next Wrangler hitter to get the Lady Saints to within one out of victory with the score 11-10. That’s when all heck broke loose for Seward. Odessa singled to tie the game at 11 and the next five Wrangler hitters would register RBI hits as well to turn an 11-9 Lady Saints lead into a 16-11 Odessa lead in the blink of an eye.
A stunned Seward went down in order in the bottom of the 7th as Odessa finished off the come from behind win 16-11.
The two teams combined for 34 hits in the game, 20 for Odessa and 14 for the Lady Saints. Atteberry had a huge game for Seward, going 3 for 4 with 3 RBI’s, while smacking two doubles and a home run. The rest of the top of the Lady Saints lineup fared quite well also as each of the first three Seward hitters registered two hits apiece, including Garcia who finished 2 for 5 with 3 RBI’s. Ashley suffered her first loss of the season in the circle, allowing 16 hits and 15 runs in 6 2/3 innings worked.
SEWARD COUNTY/ODESSA BOX SCORE<http://www.sewardsaints.com/sports/sball/2016-17/boxscores/20170211_bbvo.xml>
In their final game of the weekend, the Lady Saints took on the Roughriders of Luna.
Seward jumped out to a 2-0 lead after one, getting a two out, two run single from Harrison in the bottom half of the 1st to stake the Lady Saints out to an early advantage.
Luna got on the board with a run in the top of the 2nd, but Seward responded with three of their own in the bottom half of the frame, getting a single from Atteberry to plate one and a two out, two run double from Kaitlin Ammermann to make it a 5-1 game.
The Roughriders got back to within one with a three run 3rd before Manyik ripped a two out double to plate one for Seward to make it a 6-4 contest after three.
Luna put up three for the second straight inning in the 4th, erasing the Lady Saints lead and taking a one run, 7-6 lead of their own.
The high flying affair continued in the Seward half of the 4th as Harrison ripped another two out, two run double to put the Lady Saints back in front 8-7.
Neither team scored in the 5th and Seward kept Luna off the board in the 6th to hold onto their 8-7 lead after 5 ½.
The Lady Saints added a pair of insurance runs on RBI singles from Cuellar and Manyik in the bottom of the 6th, but they wouldn’t need them as Macy Pritchard finished off the Roughriders in the 7th to close out a 10-7 win for Seward.
Seward pounded out 15 hits in the win, getting 2 hits and 4 RBI’s from Harrison and 3 hits apiece from Manyik and Taylor Kathler. Pritchard spun 4 brilliant innings of relief for Seward out of the bullpen, earning the win while allowing just 2 hits and 1 unearned run to earn her first career win for the Lady Saints.
<http://www.sewardsaints.com/sports/sball/2016-17/boxscores/20170211_7sv2.xml>
SEWARD COUNTY/LUNA BOX SCORE<http://www.sewardsaints.com/sports/sball/2016-17/boxscores/20170211_7sv2.xml>
The Lady Saints move to 6-3 on the year with the split and will take the field for the first time at home on Tuesday when they host the McCook Indians in a 1:00 doubleheader at Lady Saints Field.