Seward Softball Braves Elements for Split

The weathermen were wrong Friday, predicting temperatures in the 50’s which didn’t actually even get to the 40’s as the Seward County Lady Saints took on the Clarendon Bulldogs at Lady Saints Field in Liberal. The two teams braved the elements for a non-conference split with Seward taking game one 10-2 in a five inning run rule before Clarendon stormed back for an 8-7 come from behind win in game two.

Clarendon got on the board first in game one, plating a 1st inning run before Seward responded with a two run home run from Kristyna Garcia and a two run triple from Sydney Epp in the bottom of the inning to give the Lady Saints a 4-1 lead. Seward plated their fifth run of the inning on an RBI single from Sage Harrison, putting the Lady Saints in front 5-1 after one.

A scary moment occurred in the Seward 2nd as Jordan Garrison crushed a 1-0 pitch to third base and the ball was hit so hard that the Clarendon third baseman couldn’t get her glove up which resulted in the ball hitting her in the head, subsequently sending the ball over the Lady Saints dugout for a ground rule double. After spending a few moments on the ground with the Seward training staff, she was able to get to her feet and walk off the field on her own power. The Lady Saints eventually scored three times in the inning, stretching their lead to 8-1 after two.

Seward added to their lead in the 4th as back to back doubles from Garcia and Jullian Atteberry opened the inning with a run and Atteberry scored later on on an RBI single from Epp to make it 10-1 Lady Saints.

Clarendon plated one in the 5th, but couldn’t get anything else across which kicked in the run rule in a 10-2 Seward County win.

Seward outhit Clarendon 13-2 in the contest and worked around five errors for the win. Monique Ashley allowed just two hits in the circle for the Lady Saints, striking out five to improve to 15-1 on the year. Each of the Lady Saints first five hitters in the lineup had multiple hits including Epp and Garcia who combined to go 6 for 6 with six RBI’s in the win.

SEWARD COUNTY/CLARENDON GAME ONE BOX SCORE<http://www.sewardsaints.com/sports/sball/2016-17/boxscores/20170310_l8fk.xml>

For the second straight game, it was the Bulldogs jumping ahead with a run in the top half of the 1st inning of game two.

Seward came out swinging themselves as Maycee Koontz doubled to start the game and Garcia drove her home to tie the game at one. Later in the frame Epp singled home her fifth run of the game and she scored on a two out double from Harrison to make it 3-1 Lady Saints after one.

A perfectly executed double steal by Clarendon in the 2nd made it a 3-2 game, but Seward quickly went back up two as Taylor Kathler scooted around the bases on a steal and a pair of ‘Dog errors to make it 4-2.

Clarendon tied the game in the 3rd on a wild pitch and a bases loaded walk to make it 4-4 and took the lead back later in the inning on a dropped fly ball by the Lady Saints.

A two run bomb by Sydney Epp kept the Lady Saints going in the 3rd and gave Seward a 6-5 lead, but couldn’t extend upon that lead through four to keep it a 6-5 game to the 5th.

Clarendon tied things up with a run in the 5th but a solo shot by Harrison in the bottom of the inning put the Lady Saints back up 7-6.

Seward couldn’t add an insurance run in the 6th after a golden opportunity and Clarendon made them pay for it in the final inning as the Bulldogs tied things up on a single and then took the lead on another bases loaded walk to make it an 8-7 game.

The Lady Saints put the tying run on base in the bottom of the 7th, but couldn’t push anything across, allowing Clarendon to split the doubleheader with an 8-7 win in game two.

Seward had 11 hits in the loss, but committed a season high eight errors, with seven different players committing a defensive blunder for the Lady Saints. Epp finished a big day with two more hits, including a home run in the contest while driving in three more to finish a six RBI afternoon. Ruby Gonzalez took the loss in relief for Seward, allowing four hits and three runs while walking five to fall to 5-2 on the year.

SEWARD COUNTY/CLARENDON GAME TWO BOX SCORE<http://www.sewardsaints.com/sports/sball/2016-17/boxscores/20170310_hjbv.xml>

Seward moves to 23-8 with the split while Clarendon goes to 15-10.

The Lady Saints will now embark on their longest road trip of the year as they head to the desert of Phoenix, Arizona on Saturday to start an eight game in five day stretch on their annual Spring Break Trip.