Lady Saints Sweep Wind Blown Lamar

The Seward County Lady Saints got back on track Tuesday afternoon at Lady Saints Field in Liberal, pushing through a windblown day to pick up 5-2 and 7-4 wins over visiting Lamar thanks in large part to four multi-run innings, including a four run 5th to break a 3-3 tie in game two.

The day started off well for the Lady Saints as game one starting pitcher Kelly Kearney struck out the side for Seward in the top of the 1st and blanked the Lopes in the 2nd to allow the Lady Saints to score first with a two run 2nd to go in front 2-0.

Lamar didn’t break through until the 4th when they used a walk and a pair of hits to plate a run and cut the Seward lead in half at 2-1.

Seward answered right back as Jaidyn Mawhinney drove home her second run of the game with a groundout and a misplayed fly ball in the gusting winds allowed the Lady Saints to pick up another to make it a 4-1 game after four.

The Lady Saints loaded the bases and threatened to blow the game open in the 5th, but managed just one run before a lineout and a groundout ended the threat with Lamar still hanging in there down 5-1.

Kearney continued to pitch well in the circle for the Lady Saints and tossed a scoreless 6th and looked like she had a 1-2-3 7th inning before a Seward error allowed the Lopes to extend the frame with one out left to go. Kearney came up big though, getting a fly out to left center to seal a 5-2 win for the Lady Saints in the opener.

Each side had 7 hits in the contest, but 3 Lamar errors allowed the Lady Saints to score a pair of unearned runs in the 5-2 win. Brittany Corrales and Kennedy Brunson each had 2 hits for the Lady Saints while Mawhinney had 2 RBI’s in the victory. Kearney threw well, scattering 7 hits and allowing just 1 earned run while striking out 8 to pick up her 10th win of the season.

SEWARD COUNTY/LAMAR GAME ONE BOX SCORE<http://www.sewardsaints.com/sports/sball/2015-16/boxscores/20160329_8kce.xml>

In game two, Mawhinney traded her bat for her pitching glove, holding the Lopes scoreless through the first three innings to again allow Seward to grab the early advantage as Callie Silvers-Harnly drove home a pair and Megan Olsen walked with the bases loaded to push home another run in the 3rd to give the Lady Saints a 3-0 lead.

The Lopes got on the board for the first time in the top half of the 4th, using a leadoff single and a two out hit to cut the Seward lead to 3-1.

After Seward left two on with a chance to open up their lead in the bottom of the 4th, Lamar took advantage by plating their two baserunners in the top of the 5th to tie the game at 3-3.

Just as the Lopes fought back to tie the game in the 5th, they all but handed it back to the Lady Saints in the bottom half of the inning. Lamar pitching walked the bases loaded before Garcia smacked a single down the line to score two and put the Lady Saints back in front 5-3. Seward kept the rally going as Venice Batts singled back up the middle to score another run and a Lope error in the outfield allowed the Lady Saints fourth run of the inning to score and make it a 7-3 game.

Sloppy Seward defense gifted Lamar a run in the 6th to cut the Lady Saints lead to 7-4, but Mawhinney locked down from there, holding the Lopes without anything else in the 6th before slamming the door with a 1-2-3 inning in the 7th to give Seward County a 7-4 win.

The Lady Saints pick up the win despite being outhit by Lamar 8-7 and also committing 4 errors to the Lopes 2. Batts led the Lady Saints at the plate with 3 hits and a pair of RBI’s while Garcia was 2 for 2 with 2 runs scored and 2 RBI’s while also reaching via walk twice. Mawhinney earned the win in the circle, allowing 8 hits and 4 runs, 2 earned, while striking out 6 and not walking a batter.

SEWARD COUNTY/LAMAR GAME TWO BOX SCORE<http://www.sewardsaints.com/sports/sball/2015-16/boxscores/20160329_epry.xml>

Seward improves to 17-21 on the year with the sweep while Lamar falls to 12-15.

The Lady Saints will now turn their focus to Jayhawk West Conference play which is where they will finish the season with 18 of their final 20 games of the year. Their journey starts Thursday at home when they host the rival Butler Grizzlies in a 2:00 doubleheader at Lady Saints Field in Liberal.