The Lady Saints got on the board right away in game one, getting a 1st inning run courtesy of a Clarendon error to take a 1-0 lead.
Clarendon answered right back, pounding out three hits and scoring twice in the bottom of the inning to take a 2-1 lead of their own.
Another Bulldog error in the 2nd allowed the Lady Saints to tie the game at 2 and that is where things remained through three innings of action.
Seward took the lead back in the top of the 3rd as Sage Harrison doubled home a run and Taylor Kathler knocked her home to put the Lady Saints in front 4-2.
Clarendon scored in the bottom of the 3rd to make it a one run game, but the Lady Saints answered with one of their own in the top of the 6th to stretch their advantage back to two at 5-3.
All the Lady Saints needed was three outs before Clarendon scored two runs, but they couldn’t get them. Three straight Clarendon hits to begin the inning coupled with a Seward County error put a pair of runs on the board for the Bulldogs knotting the game at 5.
The game went to extras tied at 5 and Seward quickly retook a one run lead as AJ Cuellar singled home the go ahead tally to make it a 6-5 game.
Clarendon put runners on first and second with nobody out in the bottom of the 8th, but Seward righthander Monique Ashley was able to shut down the rally, getting three straight pop outs with the game on the line to secure the 6-5 win for the Lady Saints.
Hits were just about even at 9-8 in favor of Seward while the Lady Saints committed 3 to Clarendon’s 2 in the contest. Leena Mortensen had 2 hits and 2 runs scored for Seward while Kathler had 2 hits and an RBI for the gals in green. Ashley earned her seventh win of the season, going all 8 innings, allowing 2 earned runs while striking out 7.
SEWARD COUNTY/CLARENDON GAME ONE BOX SCORE<http://www.sewardsaints.com/sports/sball/2016-17/boxscores/20170222_tioz.xml>
There was lots of action early on in game two as each team tallied a 1st inning run and exploded for crooked numbers in the 2nd. Seward got going first with a two run home run from Kaitlin Ammermann and kept it going with a two run double from Kristyna Garcia and an RBI single from Sydney Epp to make it 7-1 Lady Saints. Clarendon answered right back, scoring two on a Seward error and two more on a double to quickly make it 7-5. A two run triple tied the game at 7 and Clarendon took an 8-7 lead on their seventh run of the inning.
A wild pitch in the 3rd allowed Seward to tie the game again at 8, but Clarendon got it right back to go ahead 9-8 in the bottom of the frame.
Things quieted down from there as both teams went in order in their next two at bats until Clarendon tacked a run on in the bottom of the 5th to make it 10-8.
A misplayed fly ball by the Clarendon outfield allowed Seward to score a pair of two out runs in the 6th to tie the game at 10, but the Bulldogs picked up a two out run of their own in the bottom half to push back in front 11-10.
Seward wouldn’t get their final chance to hit in the 7th as the game was called due to darkness, sending a frustrated Lady Saints bunch home with an 11-10 defeat.
The two teams combined for 29 hits in the game, 16 for Clarendon and 13 for Seward. Four different Seward players had 2 hits in the loss while Ammermann and Garcia each drove home 2. Macy Pritchard took the loss in the circle despite a valiant effort in relief. The freshman went 4 innings, allowing just 1 earned run after starter Ruby Gonzalez lasted just 2 innings, allowing 11 hits and 9 earned runs.
SEWARD COUNTY/CLARENDON GAME TWO BOX SCORE<http://www.sewardsaints.com/sports/sball/2016-17/boxscores/20170222_4szk.xml>
Seward moves to 13-4 on the year with the split, Clarendon goes to 11-5.
Next up for the Lady Saints is a four game, home and home series with Lamar beginning Friday afternoon at 2:00 at Lady Saints Field in Liberal.