The Liberal softball team is getting closer.  They have never beaten Garden City in softball, but they are getting closer.  Garden City held off an upstart group of Liberal girls 7-4 in game one and 12-10 in game two Thursday afternoon and evening at the National Beef Sports Complex.  LHS led 10-9 going to the 7th in game two.

In game one, the Buffaloes scored three in the third, three in the fourth, and one in the sixth to lead 7-0.  Liberal’s offense came to life in the sixth with four runs.  Garden City out-hit LHS 9-4.  Zoey Torres was 2-2 with a double.  Haiden Lyon hit a triple.  Allie Champion pitched three scoreless innings.

In game two, Liberal led most of the game in front of a spirited home crowd.  Garden City scored three in the first.  The Redskins answered with two in the first and four in the second to lead 6-3.  GCHS plated three in the fourth to tie it.  Liberal answered with four in the bottom of the fourth to lead 10-6.  But LHS did not score in the last three innings and it cost them the game.  Garden City scored three in the fifth to make it 10-9.  That was the score until the top of the seventh when Garden City stunned the Redskins with three runs to lead 12-10.  Liberal out-hit Garden City 10-8 but their defense let them down with five errors.  Taylor Harding was 4-4 with seven RBI’s and three triples.  Lexi Miller and Viviana Favila had two hits a piece.

Garden City sweeps the three game series and improves to 11-2 overall and 4-1 in the WAC.  Liberal falls to 5-9 and 0-6 in the WAC.  Liberal hosts Cimarron Thursday at 4pm.