The Lady Saints got on the board first in game one as Taylor Kathler doubled home Sage Harrison in the 2nd to put Seward on top 1-0. Kathler moved up to third on the throw home and scored later in the inning on an RBI groundout from AJ Cuellar to push the Lady Saints lead to 2-0.
An RBI single from Sydney Epp in the 4th made it a 3-0 game and a Garden City error with two outs in the 4th cost the Busters another run as Seward pushed their advantage to 4-0.
Seward wouldn’t score again, but they didn’t need to as ace Monique Ashley stymied the Broncbuster offense for the final three innings, wrapping up her shutout in style with her seventh strikeout of the game to give the Lady Saints a 4-0 win in the opener.
Ashley improved to 19-2 on the year with the win, spinning her second shutout of the 2017 campaign. She allowed just five hits, all singles, while striking out seven. Seward had just five hits as well with Kathler and Kaitlyn Ammermann combining for four of the five knocks in the win.
SEWARD COUNTY/GARDEN CITY GAME ONE BOX SCORE<http://www.sewardsaints.com/sports/sball/2016-17/boxscores/20170327_l06x.xml>
Game two didn’t get off to quite the same start for the Lady Saints as Garden City took out their frustrations on Seward in the top half of the 1st, scoring four times and chasing Lady Saints starter Sydney Epp to take a 4-0 lead before Seward got a chance to hit.
The Lady Saints answered in the bottom of the 1st, getting an RBI double from Epp and an RBI single from Paige St. Pierre to drive her home to cut the Buster lead in half at 4-2.
Seward played small ball in the 2nd to get even, getting an RBI groundout from Jordan Garrison and an RBI single from Jullian Atteberry to even up the score at 4 apiece.
The Lady Saints continued their two run innings in the 3rd as Kathler singled home a run and Cuellar did the same later in the inning to give Seward their first lead of game two at 6-4.
Back to back two out doubles for the Busters in the 4th got Garden back to within one at 6-5 and that is the way things stayed until the bottom of the 5th when Seward’s Sage Harrison cracked a two run home run to center field to give the Lady Saints some breathing room up 8-5.
Garden threatened in the 6th, bringing the tying run to the plate and again in the 7th as the tying run walked into the on deck circle, but Lady Saints reliever Ruby Gonzalez doused the fire, inducing a pop out to end the threat and give Seward an 8-5 win to sweep the doubleheader.
Seward banged out 11 hits in the win, getting three hits from Cuellar and two each from Epp and St. Pierre. Gonzalez scattered seven hits in 6 1/3 innings of relief to earn the win and improve to 8-2 on the year.
SEWARD COUNTY/GARDEN CITY GAME TWO BOX SCORE<http://www.sewardsaints.com/sports/sball/2016-17/boxscores/20170327_72ye.xml>
The Lady Saints improve to 33-12 overall and 8-2 in Jayhawk West Conference play with the sweep while Garden City falls to 11-23 and loses their 31st and 32nd straight Jayhawk West Conference games.
Seward is scheduled to go on the road Wednesday, weather pending, to take on DII #9 Cowley in Ark City at 2:00. The Lady Saints return home Saturday where they will take on Jayhawk West rival Colby at 2:00 at Lady Saints Field.