Offense Explodes as #11 Lady Saints Bomb Garden

The #11 Seward County Lady Saints were frustrated after a pair of close losses in their conference openers against rival Butler last week.  Unfortunately for the Garden City Lady Broncbusters, they were the next Jayhawk West foe on Seward's schedule.  Wednesday in Garden City, the Lady Saints took their frustrations out on Lady Buster pitching, racking up 39 hits and 30 runs in just 12 innings of softball, blowing out Garden City 15-5 and 15-2 in the double header to improve to 19-4 overall on the season. 

It didn't take long for the Lady Saints to get going in the opener as Andrea Sitter ripped a one out triple and quickly scored on a passed ball in the top of the 1^st to give Seward a 1-0 lead. 

Garden City loaded the bases without the benefit of a hit in the bottom of the inning, but Seward starter Katelyn  Craker worked out of the mess with a strikeout to keep Seward in front 1-0. 

The Lady Busters tied the game in the 2^nd, manufacturing a run on a leadoff single, a sacrifice bunt, and a two out single to knot things up at 1. 

Seward responded with a big 3^rd inning as the first six Lady Saint hitters of the inning picked up hits including RBI knocks from Becky Allen, Vanessa Oakden, and Tiffanie Bolanos to put Seward back on top 4-1. 

As they did before, the Lady Busters struck right back.  A two out Seward error allowed the inning to continue and let one Garden City run in and one pitch later a two run home run deadlocked the game at 4. 

A leadoff single by Bolanos in the 5^th got Seward going again and after a sacrifice bunt by Felisha Vogelaar, Carmen Hughes doubled home Bolanos from second to give the Lady Saints the lead back 5-4.  With two outs in the inning Pokey Ewell ripped her second hit of the game scoring two more for the Lady Saints and at the end of five innings it was Seward 7 and Garden City 4. 

The Lady Saints added onto their lead in the 6^th as Oakden smacked a double to the wall to score Danielle Orr who walked earlier in the inning and a Garden City error allowed another Seward run to cross the plate to make it 9-4 Lady Saints. 

Garden City threatened to get back in the game in the bottom of the inning, loading the bases with just one out, but the Busters only managed to score one run on a sacrifice fly and Craker left two runners stranded at innings end to keep the Lady Saints on top 9-5. 

Oakden's big day continued in the 7^th for Seward as she blasted a 1-1 pitch over the wall for a two run home run to put Seward up 11-5.  Later in the inning a bases loaded double from Marissa Chavez scored two more for the Lady Saints and two batters later Ewell knocked home two more to blow the game wide open 15-5. 

Craker finished things off in the bottom of the 7^th, getting a double play to end it in style as the Lady Saints picked up a 15-5 win to take the opener. 

Seward County pounded out 25 hits in the massacre.  All nine Lady Saint starters had a hit in the win and seven of the nine Seward hitters had 3 or more hits.  Oakden finished a triple she of the cycle for the Lady Saints, going 4 for 5 with a double, a home run, 4 RBI's, and 2 runs scored.  Ewell was 3 for 6 in the middle of the order with 4 RBI's.  Craker picked up her 10^th win of the year, going the whole way in the circle for Seward.  The sophomore lefty allowed 6 hits and 1 earned run while striking out 6. 

#11 SEWARD COUNTY/GARDEN CITY GAME ONE BOX SCORE

The Lady Saints kept up their hitting ways in game two of the double header, getting a 2 RBI double from Bolanos in the 2^nd to take a quick 2-0 lead and another RBI double later in the inning from Hughes to score Bolanos to put the gals in green on top 3-0. 

It remained a 3-0 game into the 4^th when the Lady Saints added to their advantage.  After a leadoff single from Vogelaar, a double from Chavez brought her around to score to put Seward in front 4-0.  After a bunt single from Sitter and a hit Seward batter, the bases were loaded for Orr who had a fly ball in the outfield dropped, clearing the bases to open Seward's lead to 7-0.  Oakden added an RBI single behind the error to score Orr and after 3 ½ the Lady Saints were comfortably ahead 8-0. 

Garden City scored their first run of the game in the 4^th with a one out double, but their momentum was short lived. 

Seward loaded the bases quickly in the 5^th and an RBI single from Sitter pushed one run across and reloaded the bases making the score 9-1.  A groundout scored another Seward run to make it 10-1 and a two out single from Orr stretched the Lady Saints advantage to 11-1.  The Lady Saints weren't done yet.  After an Oakden single reloaded the bases, Bolanos hammered the first pitch she saw over the outfield wall for a grand slam, her first career collegiate home run, to put Seward in front 15-1. 

Garden got a run in the 5^th on a Seward error but it was far too little too late as the Lady Saints brought home the 15-2 run rule win to sweep the Busters. 

Seward scored their 15 runs on 14 hits in game two.  Orr and Bolanos were the offensive stars of the contest as Orr finished 3 for 4 with 3 RBI's and 3 runs scored while Bolanos was 2 for 4 with 6 RBI's for the Lady Saints.  Sitter finished with 3 hits in 4 chances and stole her 13^th base of the season in the win.  Brittany Hopkins went the whole way on the rubber for Seward.  Hopkins allowed 4 Garden City hits and 2 runs, striking out 2 in the process to earn the victory. 

#11 SEWARD COUNTY/GARDEN CITY GAME TWO BOX SCORE

The freshly ranked #11 Lady Saints improve to 19-4 overall with the dominating sweep.  The two wins even up Seward's Jayhawk West record at 2-2.  Garden City falls to 8-11 overall and to 1-3 in Jayhawk West play. 

The Lady Saints will take Thursday off before hitting the diamond again.  Seward will host Barton on Friday at Lady Saints Field in Liberal in another key Jayhawk West twinbill.  The Lady Saints and Lady Cougars will get things going at 2:00.