Seward Softball Sweeps Barton to Stay Undefeated in Jayhawk

GREAT BEND, Kan. – The Seward County softball team (23-13, 10-0) pushed their win streak to eight games on Sunday, defeating Barton 8-0 in game one, before holding off a Cougar rally in game two, winning 9-7.

GAME ONE RECAP

Monique Ashley (16-3) put together another masterpiece on the mound, pitching a one-hit complete game, while striking out 15 batters. It marks the fourth straight game that she has struck out at least ten batters.

Seward came away with 14 hits in the game, led by Kaitlin Amermann’s three hits. Leena Mortensen, Sydney Epp, Corrina Porras and Miranda Nester each came away with two hits. Mortensen led the Lady Saints with three RBI.

The Lady Saints jumped out to a big lead thanks to a four-run first inning. Mortensen drove in two runs with a double to left center. Nester matched Mortensen’s two RBIs later in the inning with a single to centerfield to make it 4-0.

Mortensen added another RBI in the second with another double, this time to left field, scoring Ammermann who reached on a double.

A single to right field by Paige St. Pierre put another run on the board to make it 6-0. After two scoreless innings, the Lady Saints put up another run with a single by Sydney Epp. A final run in the seventh inning gave the Lady Saints their final-run of the game. Jullian Atteberry singled to center field to score Porras, making it 8-0.

GAME TWO RECAP

Jordan Cordrey (7-7) picked up her fourth straight win on the mound, pitching 6.2 innings. She gave up seven runs on eight hits, while striking out six batters before Ashley picked up her first save of the year, pitching the final out of the game to secure a Lady Saints victory.

Seward finished with nine hits in game two with over half coming from Atteberry (4 hits) and Mortensen (3 hits). Atteberry (2 RBI), Mortensen (2 RBI) and Madeline Owen (2 RBI) led the Lady Saints with multiple RBIs each.

The Cougars jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. A bases-loaded walk scored the first run, before a fielder’s choice allowed the second run to score. The final run of the inning came on a passed ball as a Cougar struck out.

The Barton lead was short-lived as the Lady Saints exploded for seven runs in the second inning. A error and a walk put runners at first and second before Owen knocked both in with a triple to right field. Another walk put runner at the corners. Another error tied the game at three.

With runners at second and third following the error, Atteberry hit a double down the left field line to score two runs and give the Lady Saints the lead. Yet another error by the Cougars on an Ammermann hit scored the sixth run of the inning before Sage Harrison singled to shortstop to make it a 7-3 game.

The Cougars got one back in the bottom of the second. Back-to-back doubles made the game 7-4.

The Lady Saints scored their final two runs of the game in the fourth inning with a two run double to right center from Mortensen to make it 9-4.

The fifth and sixth inning pulled the Cougars into striking distance. With runners on second and third in the fifth inning, a groundout to shortstop scored one run to cut the deficit to four runs.

The Cougars used a leadoff single to get a baserunner before a double to right center scored the first run of the inning. Barton followed up the RBI double with an RBI single up the middle to make the game 9-7. Seward kept the Cougars off the board the rest of the game to pick up the win.

Seward will be back in action on Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. when they travel to El Dorado to take on the Butler Grizzlies in a doubleheader.

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Ian Applegate